DEIR HAFER, Syria: The Syrian military continued its push into Kurdish-held territory on Saturday (Jan 17), regardless of US calls to halt its advance in cities within the space in Syria’s north.
State media mentioned the military took over the northern metropolis of Tabqa and its adjoining dam, in addition to the most important Freedom dam, previously generally known as the Baath, west of the Syrian metropolis of Raqaa.
Syrian Kurdish authorities had not acknowledged their lack of management over these strategic factors, and it was unclear if preventing was nonetheless ongoing.
For days, Syrian troops had amassed round a cluster of villages that lie simply west of the winding Euphrates and had referred to as on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces stationed there to redeploy their forces on the alternative financial institution of the river. They’ve been clashing over strategic posts and oilfields alongside the Euphrates River.
SDF fighters withdrew from the world early on Saturday as a gesture of goodwill – however then accused Syrian troops of violating the settlement by persevering with to push additional east into cities and oilfields not included within the deal.
Brad Cooper, who heads the US army’s Central Command, mentioned in a written assertion posted on X that Syrian troops ought to “stop any offensive actions in areas” between the town of Aleppo and the city of Tabqa, roughly 160km additional east.
ARAB RESIDENTS REJOICE AT TROOPS’ ARRIVAL
The preliminary withdrawal deal included the primary city of Deir Hafer and a few surrounding villages whose residents are predominantly Arab. The SDF withdrew on Saturday and Syrian troops moved in comparatively easily, with residents celebrating their arrival.
“It occurred with the least quantity of losses. There’s been sufficient blood on this nation, Syria. We’ve got sacrificed and misplaced sufficient – individuals are bored with it,” Hussein al-Khalaf, a resident of Deir Hafer, informed Reuters.
The Syrian Petroleum Firm mentioned that the close by oilfields of Rasafa and Sufyan had been captured by Syrian troops and will now be introduced again on-line.
SDF forces had withdrawn east, some on foot, in the direction of the flashpoint city of Tabqa – downstream however nonetheless on the western aspect of the river and close to a hydroelectric dam, an important supply of energy.
However when Syria’s military introduced it aimed to seize Tabqa subsequent, the SDF mentioned that was not a part of the unique deal and that it could combat to maintain the city, in addition to one other oilfield in its neighborhood.
Syria’s military mentioned 4 of its troops had been killed in assaults by Kurdish militants, and the SDF mentioned a few of its personal fighters had been killed, however didn’t give a quantity.
US-led coalition planes flew over the flashpoint cities, releasing warning flares, in keeping with a Syrian safety supply.
The US has needed to recalibrate its Syria coverage to steadiness years of backing for the SDF – which fought towards the Islamic State – towards Washington’s new help for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose insurgent forces ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
MAIN OILFIELDS ARE STILL UNDER KURDISH CONTROL
To attempt to finish the preventing, US envoy Tom Barrack travelled to Erbil in northern Iraq on Saturday to satisfy with each Abdi and Iraqi Kurdish chief Masoud Barzani, in keeping with two Kurdish sources. There was no speedy remark from Barrack’s spokesperson.
The most recent violence has deepened the faultline between the federal government led by Sharaa, who has vowed to reunify the fractured nation after 14 years of battle, and native Kurdish authorities cautious of his Islamist-led administration.
The 2 sides engaged in months of talks final yr to combine Kurdish-run army and civilian our bodies into Syrian state establishments by the tip of 2025, repeatedly saying that they needed to resolve disputes diplomatically. However after the deadline handed with little progress, clashes broke out earlier this month within the northern metropolis of Aleppo and ended with a withdrawal of Kurdish fighters. Syrian troops then amassed round cities within the north and east to stress Kurdish authorities into making concessions within the deadlocked talks with Damascus.
Kurdish authorities nonetheless maintain Arab-majority areas within the nation’s east which can be dwelling to a few of Syria’s largest oil and fuel fields. Arab tribal leaders in SDF-held territory have informed Reuters they’re able to take up arms towards the Kurdish drive if Syria’s military points orders to take action. Kurdish fears have been deepened by bouts of sectarian violence final yr, when almost 1,500 Alawites have been killed by government-aligned forces in western Syria and tons of of Druze have been killed in southern Syria, some in execution-style killings.
