Syria
Members of the Syrian National Army (SNA) take part in northeast Aleppo on January 14, 2021. (Photo: AFP)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The strategic district of Deir Hafer in eastern Aleppo has witnessed on-and-off confrontations and military buildup involving Damascus-affiliated factions and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in recent weeks, a prominent war monitor reported Monday, warning that the tense calm is at risk of collapse.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) relayed that the road connecting Syria’s northern Aleppo province and the eastern Deir ez-Zor province to the country’s east through Deir Hafer “remains closed for the third day in a row.”
The shut down coincides with “the arrival of Turkish military reinforcements to Kuweires Airbase” in eastern Aleppo, SOHR added.
The Kuweires Airbase is controlled by the Syrian National Army (SNA) - a Turkish-backed coalition of Syrian armed opposition groups, with an estimated strength of up to 70,000 fighters.
The SNA operates primarily in northern Syria and its operations have chiefly been directed at forces of toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the US-backed SDF and previously the Islamic State (ISIS).
SOHR also reported Monday that “military reinforcements have also reached the Tishreen Dam” along the Euphrates River, from both the SDF and “Turkey and [Syrian] government forces.” Both sides maintain a foothold near the strategic dam.
A day earlier, the war monitor - which relies on a network of sources across Syria - had relayed that “more than ten artillery shells” fell Sunday evening around the Tishreen Dam in “an exchange of shelling” between the SDF and “Turkish-backed Syrian factions.”
On the same day, SOHR reported that a drone belonging to the SDF “targeted two military points” belonging to the SNA “in the village of al-Qishla” in eastern Aleppo, “leading to their destruction.”
The war monitor additionally cited “sources” as reported that “a meeting was recently held in the city of Aleppo” between officials from the Syrian interim Government and SNA commanders, concluding with ordering the dispatch of “military units equipped with vehicles and heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery” to Deir Hafer.
The show of force is reportedly “meant to deter any potential military action” by the SDF and “signal readiness for any escalation.”
Deir Hafer is a strategic area located in eastern Aleppo province. It remains largely under the US-backed SDF control, which functions as the de facto military force of northeast Syria (Rojava).
In recent weeks, Damascus-aligned factions have intensified efforts to seize the district, as it would enable them to open a logistical corridor to Raqqa province in north-central Syria. It would also allow them to put military pressure on the SDF in other regions crucial for the Kurdish forces’ operations, including Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge, both on the Euphrates River.
The military build up follows weeks of sporadic attacks in the region.
On Tuesday, media outlets affiliated with the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava reported that “transitional government forces shelled the village of Zubaidah” in Deir Hafer using heavy artillery, injuring four children with varying degrees of severity.
Hawar News Agency (ANHA) further added that “militants” affiliated with the Syrian interim authorities “launched a drone attack at 6:30 pm today, targeting an SDF post” in Deir Hafer.
SOHR corroborated the drone strike, stating that “two SDF members were injured in the drone attack carried out by government forces.”
Earlier in September, the SDF accused Damascus-affiliated forces of carrying out a “massacre” in Deir Hafer, killing five women and two toddlers in drone strikes and artillery shelling - an accusation Damascus has firmly denied.
In a statement on X, the Kurdish-led forces reported that “seven civilians were martyred, including two children” and five women, in the village of Umm Tina, in an attack carried out by “pro-Turkey factions affiliated with the Damascus government. Three other women and a 60-year-old man were also injured in the attack.
SOHR also reported the Saturday incident, attributing the civilian casualties to “Syrian army shelling.”
The Syrian defense ministry then denied responsibility, stating, "We affirm our categorical denial of the reports promoted by their [SDF's] affiliated media outlets regarding the Syrian Arab Army targeting the village of Umm Tina."
Instead, the ministry accused the SDF of shelling the village, holding the Kurdish-led forces "fully responsible for the massacre against the people of the village of Umm Tina."
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