SDF Reports Repelling Multiple Assaults by Syrian Government Forces

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that its fighters have successfully repelled three consecutive assaults by pro-government units in the Deir Hafir district, located in the rural eastern countryside of Aleppo, as clashes between both sides intensify across several fronts in northern Syria.

According to an official statement released by the SDF Media Center, armed groups linked to the Syrian government attempted three separate incursions near the village of Resim al-Kirom. “The attackers tried three times to breach our defensive lines, but our forces were fully prepared and thwarted all their attempts,” a source close to the SDF said. The source added that the pro-government groups carried out their operations with drone support and heavy bombardments, repeatedly targeting SDF positions. However, no fighters were injured in the assaults.

The SDF official warned that the situation in Deir Hafir remains extremely tense, emphasizing that “civilian lives are increasingly endangered by the Syrian army’s indiscriminate attacks.”

On Friday evening, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) transferred a large number of fighters, armored vehicles, and military equipment from Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah to the Deir Hafir area in eastern Aleppo province. The deployment comes amid growing military tension and intensifying clashes with Syrian government forces.

Syrian government troops have reportedly closed the main Deir Hafir–Aleppo highway for nearly a week, restricting civilian and logistical movement. At the same time, in Aleppo city, government forces have sealed off key side roads within the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods—both under SDF control—using bulldozers and heavy machinery to erect new earth barriers separating the two districts.

Meanwhile, a new round of talks between the SDF and the Syrian government, which had been scheduled to take place in Damascus under U.S. mediation, has collapsed. A source close to the SDF confirmed to Al-Arabiya al-Hadath, that the Syrian government “refused to meet” with SDF officials for negotiations.

The SDF continues to control the strategic Tishreen Dam along with several nearby villages and rural areas in the eastern Aleppo countryside—locations frequently subjected to shelling and armed confrontations with government forces.

The recent escalation followed a deadly drone strike on the village of Um al-Tina in Deir Hafir on Sep. 20, 2025, when Syrian government forces bombed civilian areas. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, seven civilians were killed, including five women and two children, while three others were wounded. Security sources within the SDF confirmed that their forces responded to the source of the fire but did not release details on government casualties.

The Observatory further reported that heavy clashes broke out in the area involving drones and heavy weaponry, as Syrian army units attacked SDF positions. The SDF said the attacks mark “a dangerous escalation” and warned that continued aggression could destabilize the already fragile situation across the region.

In the wake of the renewed clashes, the SDF has deployed additional military units, armored vehicles, and artillery reinforcements from Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah to the Deir Hafir region to strengthen its defenses. Commanders confirmed that their forces are now “fully prepared to respond to any further aggression.”

The movement of reinforcements came just days after the SDF announced another armed assault north of Raqqa, where one of its military vehicles was ambushed by unidentified gunmen near the village of al-Mu’ayzilah. Two SDF fighters were wounded in the attack and are currently receiving treatment. In response, the SDF launched sweeping security operations to pursue what it described as “terrorist cells attempting to destabilize the region.”

“These incidents will not deter our mission,” the SDF declared in its statement, vowing to continue protecting civilians and maintaining stability in North and East Syria (Western Kurdistan).

Tensions have also spread to Aleppo province, where the SDF accused Damascus-affiliated armed groups of targeting critical infrastructure and besieging Kurdish-populated districts. The SDF stated that on Wednesday, forces loyal to the Syrian government shelled the Tishreen Dam and surrounding villages south of Kobani using tanks and field artillery.

“Shells have directly struck the body of the dam, workers’ housing, and nearby villages, posing a severe threat to civilian lives and vital facilities,” the SDF said in its statement, calling the incident a “grave violation of ceasefire agreements.” The group held the Syrian government fully responsible for the attacks and warned that it would “defend its people and forces against any threat.”

Simultaneously, Syrian government forces intensified restrictions inside Aleppo city, erecting new earth mounds and blocking key roads linking the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh to other parts of the city. Among the blocked routes were the roads connecting Ashrafiyeh Park to Sheihan Roundabout and the crucial Gundul Roundabout, which links Sheikh Maqsoud to eastern Aleppo.

The closure of these roads, alongside the shutdown of the Lairamon checkpoint, has deepened the isolation of both neighborhoods. The moves have severely disrupted residents’ mobility, limited access to food and fuel, and hindered coordination between the Asayish (Internal Security Forces) and government troops at shared checkpoints.

In response, the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh held a public assembly at Zaytoun Roundabout in Ashrafiyeh. The statement—read in Kurdish by Co-Deputy Chair Dunya Bakr, in Arabic by Co-Chair Hevin Suleiman, and in English by Yazidi House Co-Chair Manan Jaafar—called on the Syrian Interim Government to uphold its commitments and hold accountable the armed factions violating the April 1 agreement.

The Council recalled the collapse of the Baathist regime and expressed disappointment that recent hostilities “revive memories of those dark times.” “After decades of oppression, injustice, and crimes committed by the regime, we aspired to build a homeland where love and peace prevail. Yet today, violations by groups aligned with the Interim Government bring us back to those same provocations,” the statement said.

The Council reiterated its full support for the SDF, describing it as “a national necessity” and the only inclusive military force protecting Syria’s unity. “Since its formation, the SDF has defended all communities—Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, and Syriacs. It fought ISIS on behalf of the world, shedding the blood of its martyrs to preserve Syria’s integrity,” it stated.

Rejecting claims by the Syrian Interim Government that the SDF does not represent the people of North and East Syria, the Council condemned such rhetoric as “baseless attempts to incite sectarianism under external influence.” It emphasized that Arab tribes across the region had reaffirmed their solidarity with the SDF, recognizing it as “the sole guarantor of Syria’s unity.”

The statement denounced recent actions by government-linked factions, including the cutting of supply routes between Aleppo and North and East Syria, blocking of fuel deliveries ahead of winter, and directing armed vehicles toward civilian zones. “These acts bring us back to the methods of the Baath regime, which divided the country and oppressed its people,” the Council warned.

Residents of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh voiced their unwavering support for the SDF, saying the force “defends Syria’s identity, resists division, and stands as the guardian of women’s rights and social justice.”

Concluding its statement, the Council called upon the Syrian Interim Government to “uphold its commitments and hold accountable the groups responsible for these violations,” affirming that “the SDF remains the only national force capable of protecting Syria’s future.”