Syria
People flee a Kurdish-held area east of Aleppo with their belongings on January 16, 2026, ahead of a Syrian army deadline. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 500 Kurdish families displaced from areas west of the Euphrates River have arrived in northeastern Syria (Rojava) as fighting escalates between the Damascus-affiliated forces and the Kurdish-led forces, according to the Kurdish Red Crescent.
Hadiya Abdullah, co-chair of the organization, told Rudaw on Sunday that “so far, 540 families from west of the Euphrates have reached Rojava.”
Abdullah said that 400 families have arrived in Qamishli city, while 100 families headed toward al-Malikiyah (Derik) and 40 others went to Amuda in Hasaka province, adding that “a number of other families are also on their way.” She noted that relief teams are prepared to respond and confirmed that “we have deployed mobile medical centers to receive the displaced people.”
For his part, Sheikhmous Ahmed, who oversees camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees in Rojava, told Rudaw English on Sunday that large numbers of displaced people have arrived in the Jazira region which encompasses areas east of the Euphrates, covering much of the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka.
He said that “our people from Afrin, Shehba, and Aleppo who had moved to Tabqa and Raqqa - the Kurdish people from around those cities - basically all the displaced from the outskirts and Kobane, many have come to the Jazira region,” making it difficult to determine exact figures.
He said security at camps holding Islamic State (ISIS) members and their families remains stable, adding that “the SDF, Asayish [Internal Security Forces], and the coalition [forces] are still providing them with protection,” and stressing that “there have been no problems.”
The displacement comes amid heightened tensions after Damascus and allied militant groups attacked the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto military force in Rojava - on Saturday as SDF fighters were preparing to withdraw from parts of eastern Aleppo and the Raqqa countryside. The Kurdish-led force said the attacks took place despite an internationally sponsored truce that granted them “a 48-hour withdrawal period,” according to an SDF statement on X.
Following the clashes, Syria’s state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the Syrian Arab Army had taken control of all areas west of the Euphrates River, including Deir Hafer and Maskanah in eastern Aleppo province, as well as Tabqa in the western Raqqa countryside.
Earlier on Sunday, SDF Chief Mazloum Abdi warned that hostilities were continuing despite mediation efforts. Speaking to the Rojava-based Hawar News Agency (ANHA), Abdi described the assaults as “systematic attacks” on Kurdish-administered areas, while stressing, “Our efforts to achieve de-escalation and a ceasefire are continuing with the assistance of international parties.”
After expelling Kurdish fighters from two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo earlier this week, which led to the displacement of 150,000 people, Damascus expanded its operations into SDF-held areas of eastern Aleppo province, including Deir Hafer, Maskanah, and surrounding districts. The areas were declared “closed military zones,” and residents were ordered to evacuate by Friday evening.
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