EXCLUSIVE: SDF warns of imminent Syrian army offensive east of Aleppo

Shafaq News– Damascus

Syrian government forces are preparing to launch an imminent ground offensive against SDF-held areas east of Aleppo within the next 48 hours, a senior official from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Wednesday, warning that his forces are ready to respond.

The official, who spoke to Shafaq News on condition of anonymity, said Damascus has massed troops in and around Manbij and deployed significant reinforcements from Idlib, the coastal region, and Aleppo, including tanks, rocket launchers, artillery, bulldozers, and infantry units.

He accused Turkiye of providing military, logistical, and intelligence support to Syrian army forces, alleging that Aleppo International Airport has been repurposed as a launch site for Turkish Bayraktar drones while civilian flights remain suspended by Damascus.

On Tuesday, Syria’s military operations command declared the areas of Deir Hafir, Maskanah, and Qawas east of Aleppo closed military zones, urging civilians to stay away from SDF positions and calling on armed groups to withdraw east of the Euphrates. The army said it would take “all necessary measures” to prevent the areas from being used as launch points for “hostile operations.” The next day, Aleppo’s provincial authorities announced the opening of a humanitarian corridor toward the city via the village of Humaima along the M15 highway between Deir Hafir and Aleppo, allowing civilians to leave SDF-controlled areas.

In a separate statement, the SDF said Deir Hafir, Maskanah, and the Tishreen Dam area have been under sustained military escalation since early Wednesday, accusing Damascus-aligned factions of conducting intense attacks alongside an increase in Turkish drone strikes. The group warned of growing risks to civilians and critical infrastructure. The SDF said more than 12 attacks have targeted the villages of Al-Mahshiya, Sheikh Hassan, and Qashla, adding that shelling continues around the Tishreen Dam.

Since last December, Aleppo has seen escalating security tensions that have left at least 24 people dead and around 129 others injured, according to the city’s Health Directorate. Meanwhile, SDF-affiliated media reported that 10 civilians were killed inside the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, including four women and two children. The clashes also forced more than 165,000 people to leave their homes.