Heavy Artillery Barrage Hits Deir Hafer as Syrian Army Escalates Attacks, SDF Reports
The SDF says the Syrian Arab Army is heavily shelling Deir Hafer east of Aleppo, warning that the use of artillery and heavy weapons poses a serious threat to stability and civilian safety amid rising tensions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday that the Syrian Arab Army is carrying out intense artillery shelling on the city of Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo, amid a sharp escalation in military tensions.
In an urgent statement issued on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, the SDF Media Center disclosed details of the rapidly deteriorating field situation in Deir Hafer, confirming that the city has come under a heavy and sustained artillery attack by Syrian government forces.
According to the statement, Deir Hafer is currently being subjected to a concentrated barrage of shelling carried out by the Syrian Arab Army. The SDF stressed that the bombardment is not an isolated incident but comes in parallel with a noticeable rise in tensions and a significant intensification of military attacks targeting the area in recent days.
The SDF said its field sources confirm that the use of heavy weapons and artillery by Syrian government forces poses a serious threat to the stability of the city and the safety of its residents, warning that the ongoing escalation risks pushing the situation toward further complexity and instability.
The reported shelling comes amid continued military escalation east of Aleppo, where a delegation from the US-led international coalition, accompanied by a large number of coalition forces, recently met with SDF commanders in Deir Hafer and nearby Maskanah.
According to statements by Kurdish officials, the meetings took place as artillery shelling and a drone attack struck residential areas in Deir Hafer, underscoring the volatility of the frontline. SDF spokesman Farhad Shami said the talks were held in Deir Hafer, where Syrian government troops have recently deployed near the city while demanding that SDF forces withdraw.
A Syrian military source separately confirmed that a coalition convoy had entered the area, arriving alongside significant coalition forces.
In a statement issued by the SDF Media Center at 02:00 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2026, the SDF said that Damascus-affiliated factions continued shelling populated areas of Deir Hafer. The statement said more than twenty artillery shells struck the city within one hour, in addition to an attack carried out using an explosive-laden drone.
The SDF said the shelling targeted residential neighborhoods and posed a direct threat to civilian lives, adding that its forces are closely monitoring developments and taking measures to maintain security and protect residents.
With artillery fire continuing and international coalition forces present on the ground, Deir Hafer has emerged as a focal point of escalating tensions between the SDF and the Syrian government, raising concerns over the risk of further military confrontation and its impact on civilians.