Syrian army declares east of Aleppo a closed military zone

DAMASCUS

Some families return to their homes with vehicles following the clash against terrorist organization YPG, operating under the name SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria on Jan. 12, 2026.

The Syrian army on Jan. 13 declared an area east of the northern city of Aleppo a “closed military zone,” potentially signaling another escalation between government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Several days of clashes in the city of Aleppo last week that displaced tens of thousands of people came to an end over the weekend with the evacuation of the SDF members from the contested neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud .

Since then, Syrian officials have accused the SDF of building up its forces near the towns of Maskana and Deir Hafer, about 60 kilometer east of Aleppo city.

State news agency SANA reported that the army had declared the area a closed military zone because of “continued mobilization” by the SDF “and because it serves as a launching point for Iranian suicide drones that have targeted the city of Aleppo.”

The army statement also said armed groups should withdraw to the area east of the Euphrates River.

A map released alongside the statement highlighted regions including Meskene and Deir Hafir, urging civilians to stay away from sites controlled by the terrorist organization.

On Jan. 10 afternoon, an explosive drone hit the Aleppo governorate building shortly after two cabinet ministers and a local official held a news conference on the developments in the city. The SDF denied being behind the attack.

Since last week, the SDF has shelled residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities and Syrian army positions in Aleppo, killing 24 people, wounding nearly 130 and displacing about 165,000 residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud districts, according to official figures.

The tensions come amid an impasse in political negotiations between the central state and the SDF.

The leadership in Damascus under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed a deal in March 2025 with the SDF, which controls much of the northeast, for it to merge with the Syrian army by the end of 2025. There have been disagreements on how it would happen.