Syria Prepares Pressure on Terrorist Group SDF

According to Reuters, sources familiar with the matter say Syrian army are poised to move against towns controlled by the terrorist group SDF to push the group back to the negotiating table. The standoff reflects deepening divisions between President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government, which has pledged to reunify Syria under a single authority, and the terrorist group’s self-styled autonomous administration.

Talks held over several months last year focused on integrating structures run by the terrorist group SDF into Syrian state institutions by the end of 2025. Despite repeated statements favouring diplomacy, the deadline passed with little progress, and clashes erupted last week in Aleppo, ending with a withdrawal by SDF elements.

Scale of Potential Military Action

A senior Syrian military official involved in planning said up to five army divisions could take part in an operation targeting towns held by the terrorist group SDF in northern Aleppo province and the eastern Deir el-Zor region. If limited pressure fails, Damascus is considering a broader campaign that could dismantle the semi-autonomous zone the group has controlled for more than a decade.

Syrian units were deployed on Wednesday and Thursday to Deir Hafer and nearby villages west of the Euphrates, ordering SDF elements to withdraw east of the river. The army also announced a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to move into government-held areas.

Strategic Oil Areas in Focus

Additional Syrian army were repositioned in Deir el-Zor, where the terrorist group SDF controls key oil fields. Damascus has repeatedly said these strategic resources must return to central state control.

Some residents who fled the area said main roads were closed, forcing them to escape on foot through farmland. The SDF denied blocking civilian movement.

International Calls for Restraint

The United States, which has maintained contacts with the SDF in the past, has urged both sides to avoid confrontation and resume talks, according to Syrian officials familiar with diplomatic channels.

An SDF representative condemned the troop build-up, warning of “grave risks” and saying efforts were under way with foreign mediators to revive negotiations.