The Syrian government has declared areas west of the Euphrates River controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as a military zone, escalating tensions between Damascus and the US-backed force.

In a statement circulated by state-linked media on January 13, the Syrian authorities called on the SDF to evacuate positions west of the river, warning that the area would be treated as an active military zone. The move signals a tougher stance by the Syrian government amid shifting regional dynamics and uncertainty over external military support in northeastern Syria.

The statement said the designated zones include the city of Deir Hafir, the Babiri Qawas area, and the city of Maskanah. Civilians were urged to stay away from military deployment sites, with the army warning it would take “all necessary measures” to prevent further attacks threatening the city and its residents.

State media quoted a military source as saying Syrian forces shelled SDF positions on the outskirts of Deir Hafir with artillery fire in response to drone attacks targeting the vicinity of the village of Humaymah. The SDF, for its part, said that what it called “Damascus government factions” had shelled Deir Hafir, adding that no casualties had been reported.

A military source told Enab Baladi that Deir Hafir was witnessing a state of heightened alert and ongoing military preparations, describing the area as a “direct threat point” following intelligence that it had been used to launch explosive drones at Aleppo. The source added that areas seized by the SDF following the fall of the former regime would “ultimately revert to state authority."

Aleppo governor Azzam Gharib said the city had “overcome most of the ordeal and security has been fully restored”, but warned that eastern areas remain volatile due to continued military build-ups. He confirmed that the zones marked in red by the army had been declared closed military areas, calling on civilians to adhere to official instructions “to protect lives and ensure the safety of the city”.

In a separate development, Syria's TV reported that the SDF had blown up the Umm Tineh bridge near Deir Hafir, separating SDF-held areas from government-controlled territory. A later report said the army foiled an attempt to rig and detonate another bridge linking the villages of Rasm al-Imam and Rasm al-Karoum.

According to official figures, shelling over the past week has hit residential districts, civilian infrastructure and Syrian army positions in Aleppo, leaving at least 24 people dead, nearly 130 wounded and forcing around 165,000 residents to flee neighbourhoods such as Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud.

The escalation comes despite agreements reached earlier this year. In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced a deal aimed at integrating the SDF into state institutions, reaffirming Syria’s territorial unity and rejecting any form of partition.

A follow-up agreement in April covered Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, recognising both districts as administrative parts of Aleppo while committing to a ban on armed presence and the withdrawal of SDF forces to northeastern Syria.

Syrian authorities say the group has failed to implement the agreed measures in the months since. The government has stepped up security operations nationwide following the removal of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending more than two decades of his rule, as it seeks to reassert control and stabilise key urban centres.