Syrian army opens evacuation corridor east of Aleppo as tensions rise

Syria’s military said it would open a humanitarian corridor on Thursday to allow civilians to evacuate parts of Aleppo province where troop buildups and rising tensions have followed recent clashes between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

In a statement late Wednesday, the army said the corridor would be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for residents of areas east of Aleppo city, signaling possible plans for a military operation in and around the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) east of the provincial capital.

The military called on the SDF and other armed groups to withdraw east of the Euphrates River, away from the contested zone.

Government forces have reinforced the area after accusing the SDF of building up its own troops there, an allegation the SDF has denied. Limited exchanges of fire have been reported, and the SDF said Turkish drones carried out strikes in the area.

Damascus has accused the SDF of launching drone attacks on Aleppo city, including a strike that hit the governorate building on Saturday shortly after two cabinet ministers and a local official held a news conference there.

The tensions near Deir Hafer follow days of intense fighting last week in Aleppo city that ended with the evacuation of Kurdish fighters and government forces taking control of three disputed neighborhoods. At least 23 people were killed, dozens wounded, and tens of thousands displaced.

The clashes come as negotiations between Damascus and the SDF have stalled over integrating Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian army and extending central government control over key institutions in northeast Syria, including border crossings and oil fields.

Several factions in the newly formed Syrian army — established after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel offensive in December 2024 — were previously Turkey-backed insurgent groups with a long history of fighting Kurdish forces.

The SDF has been Washington’s main partner in Syria in the fight against the Daesh group, though Turkey considers the group a terrorist organization due to its ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey. A peace process between Ankara and the PKK is now underway.

Despite years of US backing for the SDF, the Trump administration has also built close ties with the government of interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and has pressed Kurdish leaders to implement an integration agreement. Washington has so far avoided publicly taking sides in the Aleppo clashes.

In a statement, the SDF warned of “dangerous repercussions on civilians, infrastructure, and vital facilities” if fighting escalates further, placing “full responsibility” on Damascus for any humanitarian and security fallout.

US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Tuesday that the United States is “closely monitoring” the situation and urged all sides to exercise restraint, protect civilians and critical infrastructure, and “return to the negotiating table in good faith.”

Al-Sharaa criticizes SDF

In a televised interview aired Wednesday, al-Sharaa praised the “courage of the Kurds” and said he wants them integrated into the Syrian army with guaranteed rights, but sharply criticized the SDF.

He accused the group of violating a previous agreement to withdraw from Aleppo neighborhoods and of preventing civilians from leaving when evacuation corridors were opened during recent fighting. Al-Sharaa also claimed the SDF rejected mediation efforts by France and the United States on orders from the PKK.

The interview was initially scheduled to air Tuesday on Shams TV, a Kurdish-region-based broadcaster in Irbil, but was canceled over concerns it could inflame tensions. Syria’s state television later aired excerpts on Wednesday.

The SDF did not immediately respond to al-Sharaa’s remarks.