Shafaq News– Deir Hafer

A military delegation from the US-led Global Coalition met on Friday with leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to discuss de-escalation efforts in the town of Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo, amid rising tensions between the SDF and the Syrian army.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that the meeting also included representatives of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), adding that the Coalition delegation inspected sites that had been subjected to shelling and conducted an assessment of the extent of damage in the area.

Earlier in the day, a military convoy of armored vehicles belonging to the Coalition and the SDF moved from the city of Al-Tabqa toward Deir Hafer.

The Syrian army continues to mobilize forces in eastern Aleppo’s countryside in preparation for a potential military operation against SDF-controlled areas in Deir Hafer. The Syrian government has previously designated the area as a military zone and opened corridors for civilians to evacuate.

Damascus and the SDF reached a ceasefire last week under US mediation, ending days of intense fighting in Aleppo’s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods.

According to the latest data by Aleppo’s Health Directorate, the fighting killed at least 24 and injured around 129 others, while SDF-affiliated media reported that 10 civilians were killed inside the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, including four women and two children. The clashes also forced more than 165,000 people to flee their homes.