Shafaq News– Maskanah

Clashes have erupted in the towns of Debsi Afnan and Maskanah in eastern Aleppo province between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian army, the group said on Saturday.

Posting on X, the SDF said groups of its fighters remain besieged in Deir Hafer and Maskanah “despite the agreement stipulating 48 hours deadline for our forces to withdraw.” It accused the government in Damascus of “treachery” and violating the agreement, alleging that Syrian army units attacked its fighters using tanks.

It also accused the Syrian army of deploying military convoys and tanks around Debsi Afnan and Maskanah ahead of the planned withdrawal, noting this led to the deaths of several of its fighters.

The SDF held Damascus and the international powers sponsoring the agreement fully responsible for the safety and lives of its besieged fighters, calling for guarantees to ensure their safe passage, along with their weapons, to areas in north and east Syria.

Statement Regarding the Clashes in Dibsi AfnanClashes erupted in the Dibsi Afnan area, west of Raqqa, following a treacherous attack by Damascus government factions on our forces' positions, in clear violation of the internationally brokered agreement.The agreement stipulated…

— Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) January 17, 2026

Syria’s state-run news agency SANA quoted the Ministry of Defense as saying that two Syrian soldiers were killed after what it described as an attack by “PKK militias” using drones in the town of Debsi Afnan.

إدارة الإعلام والاتصال في وزارة الدفاع لـ سانا: ميليشيات PKK الإرهابية تستهدف قوات الجيش العربي السوري ببلدة دبسي عفنان غرب الرقة بالطائرات الانتحارية ما أدى لاستشهاد جنديين.#الجيش_العربي_السوري#الرقة pic.twitter.com/GzBCibIcMU

— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@Sana__gov) January 17, 2026

Earlier, government forces took control of Deir Hafer in eastern Aleppo province after SDF units withdrew to the eastern bank of the Euphrates, according to the Operations Authority, which said troops are securing the town, clearing mines, and removing unexploded ordnance. Syria’s Army Operations Authority also announced that government forces had taken control of the Safyan oil field, the Al-Rasafa junction, and the Al-Thawra oil field near the city of Al-Tabqa in the countryside of Raqqa province. 

Since December 2025, Aleppo has seen escalating tensions between Syria's government factions and the 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.