Shafaq News- Deir Hafer

Syrian government forces on Friday launched a heavy bombardment against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Deir Hafer area, east of Aleppo, targeting several positions with artillery shelling and missiles.

In a statement, the Syrian army’s Operations Command said it had begun “responding to the positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and remnants of the former regime allied with the SDF in the city of Deir Hafer.”

Before the shelling, the command issued a warning identifying four locations in Deir Hafer, describing them as “military bases belonging to the SDF and its allies.” The statement claimed that these sites had been used as launch points for Iranian suicide drones toward Aleppo and played a significant role in shelling eastern Aleppo’s countryside and preventing civilians from leaving the area. 

هيئة العمليات في الجيش العربي السوري لـ سانا: بدأ ردّنا على مواقع ميليشيات PKK الإرهابية وفلول النظام البائد الحليفة لتنظيم قسد في مدينة دير حافر التي تم تعميمها قبل قليل.#سوريا #حلب pic.twitter.com/MrrUsbyAnB

— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@Sana__gov) January 16, 2026

SDF denied Syrian Army statement, saying in a post on X, "The Damascus authorities continute to spread systematic lies about our forces possessing Iranian drones or the presence of foreign fighters within their ranks." 

It added that "these claims are part of a deliberate disinformation campaign with malicious messages directed at specific international actors, in a clear attempt to tarnish the reputation of the SDF." 

Damascus Authorities Spread More Systematic LiesThe Damascus authorities continue to spread systematic lies about our forces possessing Iranian drones or the presence of foreign fighters within their ranks. These claims are part of a deliberate disinformation campaign with…

— Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) January 16, 2026

Earlier today, A military delegation from the US-led Global Coalition met with leaders SDF to discuss de-escalation efforts in the town of Deir Hafer. Shafaq News correspondent reported that the Coalition delegation inspected sites that had been subjected to shelling and conducted an assessment of the extent of damage in the area.