Fighting around Syria's Aleppo leaves civilians caught in conflict zone
Jan 16, 2026
Damascus [Syria], January 16: Residents in northern Syria have accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of preventing civilians from leaving areas around the town of Deir Hafer, despite the announcement that a humanitarian corridor had been set up by the Syrian army.
Syrian government troops and allied militias have been fighting SDF forces in the region since last week. Residents of Deir Hafer and surrounding villages told DPA that Kurdish-led SDF forces had blocked civilians from reaching the humanitarian corridor, which was meant to allow safe passage toward government-controlled areas of Aleppo governorate.
According to civilian accounts, SDF fighters fired shots into the air to disperse crowds attempting to reach the crossing near the village of Hmeimeh, west of Deir Hafer. One resident, who requested anonymity, said families were threatened and in some cases expelled from their homes, which were converted into military locations. A source in Aleppo governorate saidexplosives had been laid on several roads to prevent civilian movement.
Source: Qatar Tribune
