January 13, 2026 l By Stephen — Dalena Reporters
ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian Arab Army on Tuesday formally declared a swath of territory east of the northern city of Aleppo a closed military zone, a move signalling a potential escalation in tensions with Kurdish-led forces that could reverberate across northern Syria and the broader region.
According to state media reports, the declaration aims to curb what Damascus describes as “continued mobilisation” by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the towns of Maskana and Deir Hafer, roughly 60 kilometres east of Aleppo city. The Syrian government has asserted that the build-up of Kurdish-aligned units in the area presents a security threat claims that the SDF has categorically denied.
Last week’s clashes in Aleppo’s predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood displaced tens of thousands of civilians before concluding over the weekend with the evacuation of SDF fighters from the contested district. Damascus described the subsequent movements of armed elements as justification for imposing the military zone designation, which effectively restricts access and authorises enhanced Syrian army operations.
The official statement by the Syrian military further accused the SDF of using the region as a staging ground for Iranian-supplied suicide drones that have targeted strategic locations in Aleppo, including administrative buildings. The SDF has denied involvement in the reported drone strikes.
The declaration comes amid stalled political negotiations between the Syrian central government, now led by interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, and Kurdish forces. The two parties signed a framework agreement in March 2025 intended to merge the SDF into the Syrian army by the year’s end a pact that has since encountered sharp disagreements over its implementation.
The SDF has historically been a principal partner of the United States in combating ISIS, even as Turkey designates the group as a terrorist organisation due to its ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Recent diplomatic efforts have sought to reconcile these divergent external pressures with internal Syrian dynamics, though progress remains elusive.
The closed-zone order requires all armed factions to retreat east of the Euphrates River corridor — a stipulation likely to exacerbate existing fault lines between Damascus and Kurdish authorities. For local communities, already bearing the brunt of years of conflict, the renewed military posture signals the likelihood of continued uncertainty and displacement.
Analysts say the latest developments reflect broader regional contestation and underscore how localized power struggles in Syria could have wider geopolitical implications, particularly as global and regional actors calibrate their positions in a volatile post-conflict landscape.