Shafaq News– Aleppo (Updated at 12:30)

Syrian government forces have taken control of Deir Hafer in eastern Aleppo province after Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) units withdrew to the eastern bank of the Euphrates, the army’s Operations Authority announced.

In a statement carried by state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Saturday, the authority said troops are securing the town, clearing mines, and removing unexploded ordnance. Forces, it added, have begun advancing toward Maskanah and Dibs Afnan.

Shafaq News correspondent reported an orderly SDF pullback from Deir Hafer and the nearby Qawas area, with units regrouping in Maskanah before crossing east of the Euphrates River. The town remained calm overnight, with no clashes or shelling.

Meanwhile, SDF accused Damascus of breaching the terms of the agreement governing the redeployment. In a statement, the force said the deal stipulated that Syrian government troops would enter Deir Hafer and Maskanah only after SDF units had fully withdrawn. Government forces, it added, moved in prematurely, creating a “highly dangerous situation” that could lead to serious consequences.

The withdrawal followed an announcement by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, who described the move as a goodwill step to advance integration under the March 10 agreement aimed at folding SDF-linked civil and military bodies into the Syrian state, a move welcomed by Syria’s Defense Ministry.

A delegation from the US-led Coalition also met SDF leaders in Deir Hafer on Friday to discuss de-escalation, inspecting sites damaged by shelling, the correspondent noted.

Separately, US President Donald Trump’s Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack is expected to meet Abdi in Erbil today, with talks reportedly facilitated by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, “in bid to avoid escalation in Syria.”

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.

Read more: March 10 Syria–SDF Pact tested as unwritten timeline nears end-2025