SYRIAN government troops pressed further into Kurdish-held areas on Saturday, despite warnings from the United States to halt offensive operations, as control over strategic towns, energy infrastructure and oilfields along the Euphrates River became the focus of renewed clashes.
State media reported that Syrian forces had taken control of the northern city of Tabqa and its adjacent dam, as well as the major Freedom Dam, formerly known as the Baath Dam, west of the city of Raqqa.
Kurdish authorities had not confirmed the loss of these positions, and it remained unclear whether fighting was still under way.
For several days, Syrian troops had massed around a cluster of villages west of the Euphrates, urging the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to redeploy to the eastern bank of the river. The two sides have clashed repeatedly over strategic military posts and oilfields lining the river corridor.
Early on Saturday, SDF fighters withdrew from parts of the area, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill.
However, Kurdish officials later accused Syrian forces of breaching the withdrawal agreement by continuing their advance eastwards into towns and oilfields that were not covered by the deal.
Reuters cited Brad Cooper, the head of the US military’s Central Command, saying in a written statement posted on X that Syrian troops should “cease any offensive actions in areas” between the city of Aleppo and the town of Tabqa, around 160 kilometres to the east.
The initial withdrawal arrangement covered the town of Deir Hafer and several surrounding villages, whose populations are predominantly Arab. After SDF fighters pulled out, Syrian troops moved in with little resistance, prompting celebrations among local residents.
“It happened with the least amount of losses. There’s been enough blood in this country, Syria. We have sacrificed and lost enough — people are tired of it,” said Hussein al-Khalaf, a resident of Deir Hafer.
The Syrian Petroleum Company said nearby oilfields at Rasafa and Sufyan had been captured by government forces and could now be brought back into operation.
After withdrawing eastwards, some SDF fighters moved on foot towards Tabqa, a flashpoint town downstream on the western side of the river and close to a hydroelectric dam that is a critical source of electricity.
Tensions escalated further when Syria’s army announced plans to take Tabqa next. The SDF said the town was not included in the original withdrawal agreement and vowed to defend it, along with a nearby oilfield.
The Syrian army said four of its soldiers had been killed in attacks by Kurdish militants. The SDF acknowledged losing fighters as well but did not provide figures. According to a Syrian security source, aircraft from the US-led coalition flew over contested towns and released warning flares.
The United States has been forced to recalibrate its Syria policy, balancing years of support for the SDF in the fight against Islamic State with its new backing for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose rebel alliance toppled Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
In an effort to de-escalate the situation, US envoy Tom Barrack travelled to Erbil in northern Iraq on Saturday to meet Kurdish leaders, including SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, according to two Kurdish sources. There was no immediate comment from Barrack’s office.
The latest violence has sharpened divisions between Sharaa’s government, which has pledged to reunify Syria after 14 years of war, and Kurdish authorities who remain wary of his Islamist-led administration.
Both sides held months of negotiations last year aimed at integrating Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state by the end of 2025, repeatedly stating their preference for a diplomatic solution.
However, after the deadline passed without agreement, clashes erupted earlier this month in Aleppo, ending with a Kurdish withdrawal. Syrian forces then began surrounding towns in northern and eastern Syria to pressure Kurdish leaders into making concessions in the stalled talks with Damascus.
Kurdish authorities still control largely Arab-populated areas in eastern Syria that contain some of the country’s biggest oil and gas fields. Arab tribal leaders in SDF-held territory have told Reuters they are prepared to take up arms against Kurdish forces if ordered to do so by the Syrian army.
Kurdish concerns have also been heightened by recent bouts of sectarian violence. Last year, nearly 1,500 Alawites were killed by forces aligned with the government in western Syria, while hundreds of Druze were killed in southern regions, some in what were described as execution-style killings. - January 18, 2026
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