The YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Jan. 16 continued attempts to block the safe evacuation of civilians from the Deir Hafer area, which the Syrian army has designated a military zone, sources and media have reported.
The humanitarian corridor established by the Syrian army for the evacuation of civilians from Deir Hafer until the completion of a possible military operation remained open on Jan. 16 for the second day.
The army announced that the humanitarian corridor on the M15 highway — the main route connecting Deir Hafer and Aleppo — will remain open for civilian crossings until 5 p.m. local time.
On Jan. 13, the Syrian army declared the areas west of the Euphrates River a military zone, citing the SDF’s military buildup in the region and its use of the area to launch kamikaze drone attacks against Aleppo.
The army demanded that all armed elements withdraw east of the Euphrates.
The military opened a humanitarian corridor along the M15 highway on Jan. 15 morning to allow the temporary evacuation of civilians from occupied Deir Hafer and its surroundings until the end of a possible operation.
To prevent evacuations, the organization blocked several sections of the M15 highway — the main route linking Deir Hafer and Aleppo — with concrete barriers.
As a result, thousands of civilians, including large numbers of women, children and the elderly, were forced to seek alternative routes to leave the area.
Meanwhile, a U.S. delegation reportedly arrived in the Deir Hafer region.
According to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, the Syrian army will refrain from launching any military operations until the U.S. delegation departs the area.
The tensions in the Deir Hafer area came after several days of intense clashes last week in Aleppo city that ended with the evacuation of the SDF members and government forces taking control of three contested neighborhoods.
The fighting broke out as negotiations stalled between Damascus and the SDF over an agreement reached last March to integrate their forces and for the central government to take control of institutions including border crossings and oil fields in the northeast.
