Hundreds flee to government-held areas in Syria ahead of possible attack on Kurdish forces

By HOGIR AL ABDO and GHAITH ALSAYED 16 January 2026, 3:27 pm

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Displaced Syrians walk to cross at a river crossing near the village of Rasm al-Harmil al-Imam in the eastern Aleppo countryside, near the front line with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, in Deir Hafer, Syria, on January 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

DEIR HAFER, Syria (AP) — Scores of people carrying their belongings arrive in government-held areas in northern Syria ahead of a possible attack by Syrian troops on territory held by Kurdish-led fighters east of the city of Aleppo.

The Syrian army said late Wednesday that civilians would be able to evacuate through the “humanitarian corridor” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. The announcement appeared to signal plans for an offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces in the area east of Aleppo.

There were limited exchanges of fire between the two sides.

The SDF closed the main highway, but about 4,000 people were still able to reach government-held areas on other roads, Syrian state TV reported.

A US military convoy arrived in Deir Hafer in the early afternoon, but it was not immediately clear whether those personnel will remain. The US has good relations with both sides and has urged calm.

Fighting broke out last week as negotiations stalled between Damascus and the SDF over an agreement reached in March to integrate their forces and for the central government to take control of institutions including border crossings and oil fields in the northeast.

The US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, posted on X today that Washington remains in close contact with all parties in Syria, “working around the clock to lower the temperature, prevent escalation, and return to integration talks between the Syrian government and the SDF.”