Syrian Arab Army units declared control of Raqqa city between 6:16 PM and 7:15 PM UTC on January 18, 2026, ending ground clashes and prompting celebratory aerial gunfire, according to AlarabyTV reporter Khaled Idlibi. Syrian Democratic Forces snipers continued targeting civilians, injuring more than 40 people inside a hospital, as reported by Syria TV correspondent Zaino Yasser Mahamid. SDF members fired on Syrian Arab Army positions in Raqqa after emerging from tunnels, per a report on X. These incidents occurred amid ongoing tensions following a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and SDF earlier on January 18, which includes SDF integration into state institutions, as previously stated by Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara. On the Ain Issa axis in northern Raqqa countryside, SDF militias refused to surrender and set ambushes amid heightened field tension, according to DeryNews on X. In Jabal Abdul Aziz in Hasakah countryside, PKK-affiliated Qasdal gang members stormed Tel Majdal village and killed villagers' families, based on calls for help posted on X by SariHamad6. Zaino Yasser Mahamid noted that SDF attacks in Hasakah have caused over 120 deaths among Bakara clan members, questioning protections for local Arabs under the ceasefire terms that address Kurdish rights.
