Shafaq News– Damascus
On Thursday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) ordered the immediate closure of all border crossings in the Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor cantons until further notice, citing a “sharp deterioration” in security.
The directive, issued by the General Administration for Border Security and Arrivals, suspended travel and froze commercial movement, fuel deliveries, and food convoys across both sides of the Euphrates and along lines with Syria’s government. It followed earlier closures by Damascus-aligned authorities, warning of possible breaches or military escalation, particularly around Manbij and eastern Aleppo. Humanitarian cases and accredited international agencies were exempt.
In a separate statement, AANES criticized what it called unwarranted escalation by government factions, arguing that opening new fronts after more than 15 years of war would undermine any political process and deepen internal divisions. Rejecting incitement, the administration urged dialogue and reaffirmed support for a “decentralized Syria” with equal rights.
Since December 2025, Aleppo has seen escalating tensions between Syria's government factions and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that have killed at least 24 people and injured about 129, according to the city’s Health Directorate. Meanwhile, SDF-affiliated media reported 10 civilian deaths in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, including four women and two children, and the displacement of more than 165,000 people.
The SDF warned that ISIS cells are exploiting the unrest to target detention sites, prompting heightened security at all prisons. “The continuation of this situation, and the accompanying military escalation, could lead to general instability … threatening to return the region to square one after years of sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.”
Despite the group’s territorial defeat, ISIS remains active through dispersed sleeper cells operating across Syria, including in border regions near Iraq and Lebanon. US State Department data indicate the SDF currently holds about 8,950 detainees, many of them seasoned fighters, and around 43,250 noncombatants, including roughly 25,000 children, in crowded camps.
US Central Command reported in late 2025 that US-led forces and regional partners detained more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed over 20 during the year, including nearly 25 captured or killed in 11 mid-December operations that destroyed weapons caches and militant cells.
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