Damascus Orders Troops To 'Prepare For Operations’ Against US-Trained SDF

Via The Cradle

Syria’s government has asked factions within the military to prepare for operations against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Monday.

According to SOHR, Turkish-aligned factions in the Syrian army were asked to „prepare for operations” against the SDF in Deir Hafer and the Tishreen Dam area. SOHR added that officials in Damascus have requested that a campaign against the SDF not take more than a week.

The operation would aim to pressure the Kurdish group into accepting the agreement signed with Damascus in March this year. Recent days have seen a significant buildup of both Syrian army forces and SDF troops in eastern Aleppo.

Via Reuters

On Monday, SOHR reported escalating clashes in eastern Aleppo. More than 10 artillery shells struck areas around the Tishreen Dam following exchanges between the SDF and Turkish-backed Syrian factions.

Earlier in the day, SOHR sources confirmed that orders were issued to deploy “show-of-force” units with heavy vehicles, tanks, and artillery to the Deir Hafer frontline in anticipation of possible SDF operations.

There are also reports that the SDF has stationed kamikaze drones, rocket launchers, and long-range artillery near the local sugar factory.

Military reinforcements from Turkey also arrived at Kuweires Airport, while the Aleppo–Raqqa Road in Deir Hafer remained closed for a third consecutive day. Additional forces from both the SDF and Turkish-backed Syrian units have gathered around the Tishreen Dam, heightening concerns over an escalation.

SOHR added that an SDF drone strike destroyed two positions of Turkish-backed Syrian factions in Qashla village on Sunday.

There has been tension between the SDF and the government over a deal signed in March calling for the Kurdish group’s integration into Damascus’s forces. The two sides disagree about the deal’s implementation, particularly the SDF’s wish to remain under Kurdish command and enter the army as a bloc rather than dissolve and conscript.

Skirmishes between the SDF and the Syrian army have broken out several times since last month.

Ankara’s proxy, the Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition, was incorporated into Syria’s military after the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government last year. These Turkish-backed forces have been at odds with the SDF for years and are responsible for war crimes against Kurdish civilians in northern Syria.

The SDF is made up predominantly of People’s Protection Units (YPG) forces. The YPG is the Syrian branch of Turkiye’s enemy, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

While Jolani basked in praise at the UNGA, his forces in Syria continued persecuting minorities and attacking the SDF.

We went SDF frontlines in Deir Ezzor and talked to Syrians about the ongoing violence under Jolani’s rule. Please watch the full video: https://t.co/2pF0OZDzFX pic.twitter.com/Yu7i7hPtHn

— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) September 25, 2025

The Turkish army, which occupies Syria and has operated against the SDF in the past, may be gearing up for a new campaign, self-appointed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said earlier this month. Turkey “may act militarily if full integration is not achieved by December,” Sharaa warned. In late May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the SDF to “quit stalling” and integrate with the Syrian army.

Turkey is currently training Syria’s new extremist-dominated military. The National reported on August 17 that Damascus is assembling a force of 50,000 to capture Deir Ezzor and Raqqa from the SDF.