Recent hours have seen a sharp rise in military activity and security concerns across Northeastern Syria, as Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions face a wave of assaults alongside significant troop redeployments near contact lines. The region is experiencing a notable escalation in violence, particularly focused on strategic points in the eastern countryside.
Reporting on Tuesday, 13 January, Enab Baladi’s correspondent noted strikes on multiple SDF locations. In the town of Abu Hamam, situated along the Euphrates River, automatic weapons and RPG rounds were used by unidentified gunmen against a military outpost. Simultaneously, another SDF point near the riverbank in al-Shaafah was targeted by automatic gunfire. While the SDF has not officially declared any losses, there are currently no reports regarding casualties from these specific incidents.
Tribal Mobilization and Coordinated Strikes
This follows a series of organized assaults on 11 January by Arab tribal fighters, who struck SDF checkpoints and strategic points along the Euphrates’ eastern bank. A tribal representative known as “Abu Bashar” described these actions to Enab Baladi as the “announcement of the launch of the liberation operation,” noting a widespread mobilization of fighters across the Jazira region.
According to the tribal leader, the surge in violence is a reaction to ongoing SDF security sweeps and arrests. These operations, often conducted under the guise of hunting Islamic State cells or wanted individuals, have frequently sparked local resentment and opposition.
Conflicting Accounts and Military Reinforcements
The SDF issued a statement on its official website attributing the Abu Hamam attack to “Damascus government factions” firing from across the river, maintaining that no injuries occurred among their personnel. However, local witnesses informed Enab Baladi that the strike actually involved two RPG rounds launched from within Abu Hamam itself.
Amidst these clashes, the SDF has intensified its presence in the town of al-Basira, deploying armored units and four-wheel-drive vehicles mounted with 57 mm cannons and 23 mm anti-aircraft weapons along the riverbank. Defenses are also being strengthened through the redeployment of combat units to the Khusham area and the town of al-Kubar in the western Deir Ezzor countryside.
The Raqqa Front and Aleppo Context
Tensions are not limited to Deir Ezzor. On the morning of Tuesday, 13 January, the state-run news agency SANA cited a military source claiming the Syrian army blocked two SDF infiltration attempts on the al-Mashrafa and al-Salibi fronts in northern Raqqa.
This volatility follows the Syrian army’s entry into Aleppo’s Ashrafieh neighborhood on 8 January and the subsequent departure of the final SDF units from the Sheikh Maqsoud district on Sunday, 11 January. A military source within the Syrian government suggested that while some recent gunfire into the air indicates a state of “security anxiety” following the Aleppo shifts, their forces remain on high alert. Intelligence and army units have reportedly placed monitoring points on maximum readiness to detect any attempt to cross the river’s “red lines.”
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