SDF denies troop ‘build up’ in eastern Aleppo as Syrian army warns it won’t ‘stand idle’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday denounced as “misleading” reports from the Syrian defense ministry claiming that Kurdish-led forces are increasing their presence in eastern Aleppo. The statement follows remarks by the Syrian Arab Army that it “will not stand idle” in response to the alleged build-up.

In a statement posted on X titled “Warning Against Disinformation Attempts and Dragging the Region Toward Escalation,” the SDF said, “Our forces are closely monitoring the misleading statements issued by the defense ministry” concerning “the field situation in the vicinity of Maskanah and Deir Hafir,” located in eastern Aleppo.

The Kurdish-led forces affirmed that “there are no military movements or troop buildups by our forces” in the area, describing “all circulating claims” as “entirely unfounded. “Conversely, the ongoing field movements in the area are primarily carried out by factions affiliated with the Damascus government itself,” the statement added.

Importantly, the SDF described the Syrian defense ministry’s repetition of “these allegations” as “an attempt to manufacture tension and create pretexts for escalation.”

“We hold the parties behind these claims fully responsible for any potential consequences,” the Kurdish-led forces added, warning against “the continuation of this inciting approach” and “reaffirming our commitment to de-escalation, while reserving our legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the region and protect civilians.”

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Arab Army’s Operations Command said it had “detected the arrival of additional armed groups at positions held by the SDF” in eastern Aleppo, specifically near Maskanah and Deir Hafir, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

“The new reinforcements included fighters affiliated with the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] (PKK) terrorist organization, along with remnants of the deposed regime of Bashar al-Assad,” the Command noted, warning that “the deployment” represents a “dangerous escalation.”

SANA further reported that the military movement by these groups “will be met with a strong response” from the Syrian army, which “will not stand idle in the face of this serious escalation.”

A similar statement was notably issued by the Command a day earlier, claiming that the SDF is “bringing in armed groups and medium- to heavy-range weaponry to the Deir Hafir front,” and adding that “army forces have been placed on full alert to prepare for all possible scenarios.”

Deir Hafir is a strategic area in eastern Aleppo province, largely under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which functions as the de facto military force in northeast Syria (Rojava).

The region has been tense for months, with Damascus-aligned factions intensifying efforts to seize the district as capturing Deir Hafir would allow them to open a logistical corridor from Aleppo to Raqqa province in north-central Syria and exert military pressure on the SDF in other areas crucial to Kurdish operations, including Tishreen Dam and the Qere Qozaq bridge, both on the Euphrates River.

On Tuesday, the SDF accused “the pro-government al-Amshat factions” of “targeting the densely populated town with mortar shells, heavy weapons, and suicide drones, damaging the electricity grid.”

The Suleiman Shah Division, commonly known as Amshat, along with the Hamza Division (al-Hamzat), are Turkey-backed militias that largely resisted integration into Syria’s post-Assad military structure but later joined while retaining significant operational independence.

In August 2023, the US Treasury sanctioned both factions for “serious human rights abuses” in the Kurdish city of Afrin, northwest Syria, and the European Union later imposed similar sanctions.

Notably, the escalation in rhetoric between the defense ministry and the SDF comes just a day after an internationally mediated ceasefire ended the deadly violence that swept through the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud in northern Aleppo.

The clashes involved the Syrian army and affiliated armed groups on one side, and the Kurdish-led Internal Security Forces (Asayish) linked to the SDF on the other.