Highlights 17.01.26

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.

Tabqa 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."