Syrian army tells civilians to evacuate new front with SDF east of Aleppo

Syrian army tells civilians to evacuate new front with SDF east of Aleppo A ‘humanitarian zone’ is expected to remain open on Thursday, allowing residents to leave Deir Hafer and Maskana. The Syrian army is telling civilians to evacuate parts of the rural Aleppo governorate after accusing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of building up troops in the area, following days of deadly fighting inside Aleppo city, as concerns rise over a new front in the simmering battle. A “humanitarian zone” was expected to remain open on Thursday from 9am local time (6:00 GMT) to 5pm (14:00 GMT), allowing residents to leave Deir Hafer and Maskana in the eastern countryside. The army declared the areas closed military zones and sent in their own reinforcements earlier this week. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Reporter goes inside Aleppo tunnels dug by SDF fighters list 2 of 4 Syrian army declares military zones in rural Aleppo as SDF destroys bridges list 3 of 4 Syrian forces search for explosives, weapons after SDF pulls out of Aleppo list 4 of 4 Aleppo school picks up the pieces after SDF fight with Syria’s army “A convoy this heavily armed, carrying troops, is far more than a show of strength,” said Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi from Deir Hafer, as soldier-laden military vehicles streamed down the roadway. “This represents how committed the Syrian government is to counter areas currently under SDF control,” he added. At least 23 people have been killed in clashes between the United States-backed, Kurdish-led SDF and the Syrian army that have gripped Aleppo for more than a week. Although a March deal promised to incorporate the SDF into Syrian state institutions, talks over incorporation have since stalled, leading to the renewed conflict. A ceasefire announced on January 9 allowed SDF fighters to trickle out of Aleppo’s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud Kurdish neighbourhoods to parts of northeastern Syria, where the SDF runs a semi-autonomous zone. In Deir Hafer and Maskana, the military called on the SDF to withdraw to the other side of the Euphrates river, located east of the contested zone. The two sides have exchanged limited fire. The government has also accused the SDF of carrying out drone strikes in Aleppo city, including one that hit the Aleppo governorate building on Saturday shortly after government officials hosted a news conference at the site. The SDF, for its part, has accused the army of escalating attacks on infrastructure and facilities in Deir Hafer. ‘Eagerly awaiting’ incorporation deal On Wednesday, Syria’s military closed off several roads in the al-Safira area of rural Aleppo province “for security reasons and to ensure the safety of citizens”, state news agency SANA reported. The SDF troop buildup in the area included fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and other “remnants of the former regime”, the agency added. The PKK carried out a 40-year armed struggle in Turkiye, and Turkish officials said they were closely watching Syria’s latest round of fighting. Nuh Yilmaz,...

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