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Highlights
17.01.2026
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# OFFENSIVE OF STG
The current situation on the ground is confusing. We report on facts we were able to verify, but information is changing every minute:
# DEIR HAFER AND MASKANA
Forces linked to the Syrian Transitional Government (STG) started an offensive on Deir Hafer and Maskana (eastern Aleppo), taking control of those areas. The SDF informed that they reached an agreement with U.S. mediation to withdraw from those areas, which came under SDF control after the collapse of the regime one year ago. U.S. forces were deployed to Deir Hafer to assess the situation and monitor the current events on the ground. The U.S. also deployed warplanes that launched flares, allegedly as a warning to STG forces not to advance beyond Dibsy Afnan town.
# TAQBA AND SOUTHERN RAQQA
After taking control of Deir Hafer and Maskana, forces linked with the STG continued their advance, attacking villages surrounding Tabqa and Raqqa. Previously, the Syrian Arab Army Operations Command published locations of three buildings in Tabqa, calling for civilians to abandon those areas, framing them as being used by PKK militias and remnants of the Assad regime. Forces linked to the STG are taking control of the oil fields in the south of Raqqa, areas that the SDF took under control a year ago to prevent ISIS from occupying them.
The YPJ made a statement confirming the implementation of the withdrawal agreement from Deir Hafer. They also declared that the SDF and YPJ are in control of Tabqa and Raqqa, even as militias linked to the STG aim to take them. The SDF and YPJ are currently responding to those attacks as part of their right to self-defense.
# DEIR EZZOR
At the same time, clashes erupted in the border areas of Deir Ezzor, as different tribes and allegedly militias linked with the STG attacked SDF positions. The scale of such attacks is still not clear, but the SDF is already mobilizing reinforcements from the oil fields of al-Omar and Koniko to respond. As we write these lines, we see reports of STG forces also deploying in Deir Ezzor to begin attacks on SDF positions.
# PRESIDENTIAL DECREE ON KURDISH RIGHTS AND POLITICAL MANEUVERS OF THE SYRIAN ARMY
Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a presidential decree declaring Kurdish citizens as an essential part of the Syrian people and that the Syrian State is committed to protecting their cultural and linguistic rights. It also states that the Kurdish language may be taught in schools, that Kurds have the right to Syrian citizenship, and that Newroz is declared a public holiday in Syria. It further stipulates that ministries and relevant authorities shall publish this decree in official gazettes and issue the necessary regulations to implement it.
At the same time, the Syrian Army made announcements calling for Syrian Kurds and Arabs to defect from the SDF and join the Syrian Army, urging SDF soldiers to go to their nearest army post and claiming that "your homeland welcomes you anytime, anywhere."
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# EVALUATION
Once again, the situation in Syria is becoming chaotic and confusing, with a level of disinformation and fake news that makes it difficult to have a clear picture of the reality on the ground. The STG clearly planned this operation for a long time, as we can evaluate from the maps and infographics published by the national agency SANA.
The withdrawal of the SDF from Deir Hafer comes alongside the presidential decree, which states clear commitments from the Syrian state. This represents a significant improvement for the Kurdish people compared to the times of the Assad regime, but how this will be implemented remains an open question. It seems clear that this agreement, mediated by the US, was intended to prevent STG forces from advancing beyond Deir Hafer and Maskana regions. However, the attacks on Tabqa are violating these agreements and may be the prelude to a conflict on a scale never seen before.
The attacks by STG forces not only in Tabqa and Raqqa but also in Deir Ezzor demonstrate a wide-scale operation aimed at subduing the SDF, which has been holding its ground and working to resolve the situation at the negotiation table, attempting to avoid further military escalation. Now, red lines are being crossed, breaking agreements and attacking with full force: the SDF is already engaged in heavy clashes against these assaults.
This is once again a critical time for the Rojava Revolution, but as we mentioned in the last update, it is also a crucial time for the Kurdish people in Rojhilat. The protests in Iran are reaching unprecedented levels, and it is clear that the Iranian regime is under heavy pressure. The Kurdish regions of Iran are witnessing a level of unrest higher than we have ever seen, and protests are also ongoing in many other areas, even beginning in some Baloch regions. We are closely monitoring the situation there, but as long as Rojava faces such extreme pressure and escalation of events, we will focus our reports on the ongoing tensions in Syria to avoid taking on more than we can handle.
As we write these lines, reports of STG forces getting closer to Raqqa are surfacing on the internet. The truth of these reports, the extent to which STG forces are launching a full offensive, and how much disinformation is being spread online to confuse the situation is still unclear. What is evident is that the SDF is ready to fight to defend the values and achievements of the revolution. If these attacks aim to occupy and subjugate the people who defeated the Islamic State and built an oasis of democracy and women’s liberation in northern Syria, they will face fierce resistance. Because they know very well that resistance is life.
Revolutionary greetings!
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