Syrian government forces have expanded control across northern Syria after a fragile withdrawal arrangement with Kurdish-led authorities broke down, triggering renewed clashes along the Euphrates.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said its fighters withdrew from areas west of the river a day earlier as a gesture of goodwill, but accused Syrian troops of violating the agreement by pushing further east into towns and oilfields not covered by the deal.
Key developments
• The initial withdrawal covered Deir Hafer and surrounding Arab-majority villages, where Syrian troops entered with little resistance and residents reportedly welcomed their arrival.
• SDF units pulled back eastwards, some on foot, towards Tabqa, near a hydroelectric dam critical to regional power supply.
• Damascus later signalled its intent to take Tabqa, prompting the SDF to say the town and nearby oilfields were outside the agreement and would be defended.
• Syrian state media reported the SDF destroyed two major bridges over the Euphrates in the Raqqa area, including the Alrashid bridge, citing local officials.
• The Syrian Petroleum Company said the nearby oilfields of Rasafa and Sufyan had been captured and could be brought back online.
The developments underline the collapse of stalled integration talks and rising risks around energy infrastructure and territorial control.
ℹ️ The Guardian
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 