Jolani’s HTS terrorists and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) engaged in fierce fighting on 17 January in the Raqqa and Tabqa regions of northern Syria, despite an agreement for an SDF withdrawal from towns in the Aleppo countryside east of the Euphrates River.”

Heavy clashes are continuing between our forces and Damascus factions that violated the recent agreements and betrayed our forces while withdrawal terms were being implemented,” a statement issued by the SDF media center said.

According to the statement, the fighting was taking place along the Dabsi-Afnan axis, near the city of Al-Rasafa, and in the western Raqqa countryside.

“Our forces are engaged in fierce and courageous fighting, continuing to repel treacherous attacks while reinforcing defensive lines and maintaining full combat readiness,” the statement added.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense [Jolani’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham terrorists] published several maps identifying specific locations in Raqqa and Tabqa, urging residents to keep away from these areas in preparation for a government assault.

The ministry “warned civilians to avoid sites being used by PKK militias and remnants of the defunct regime, described as allies of the SDF organization, as bases for launching terrorist operations against Syrians and their army,” state media SANA said.

SANA reported earlier on Saturday that Syrian government forces had taken control of the cities of Deir Hafer and Maskanah, along with 34 villages on the western side of the Euphrates River in the eastern Aleppo countryside.

Hundreds of SDF members surrendered, and more than 200 members of the group evacuated from the area, SANA claimed.

AP reported that government tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles, including pickup trucks with mounted heavy machine-guns, were seen advancing toward Deir Hafer from nearby Hamima after bulldozers removed barriers in the absence of SDF forces.

Syrian forces began attacking SDF positions in Deir Hafer on Friday night, after which SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced an agreement with Damascus for his fighters to withdraw from all areas east of the Euphrates River starting 7 am local time Saturday.

The two sides exchanged accusations of violating the agreement.

The Syrian Defense Ministry [Jolani’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham terrorists] accused the SDF of violating the agreement by targeting one of its patrols near Maskana, claiming two of its soldiers were killed, and others were injured.

In contrast, the SDF said that government forces violated the agreement by entering Deir Hafer and Maskana and attacking its fighters before the 48-hour deadline for their withdrawal had passed.

“The Damascus government brought in military convoys, heavy weapons, and tanks to the area before the withdrawal was completed, and attacked our fighters, resulting in the death of a number of them,” the SDF stated.

Syrian government attacks on Kurdish positions in Deir Hafer came shortly after self-proclaimed President Ahmad al-Sharaa [Jolani], a former Al-Qaeda and Islamic State commander, issued a presidential decree recognizing Kurdish rights.

The decree said that the Kurdish language would be taught in schools in Kurdish-majority regions, unregistered Kurds in Syria would be granted citizenship, and the Kurdish new year, Nowruz, would be made an official state holiday.

In a statement, the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in Syria’s north and northeast said Sharaa’s [Jolani] decree was “a first step, however, it does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people.”

It added that Kurdish “rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but… through permanent constitutions that express the will of the people and all components” of society.”

Meanwhile, US Senator Lindsey Graham threatened to reimpose economic sanctions on Syria if government forces continue their attacks on the SDF.

Cradle Media report