The War Observatory-SDF reported that the Deir Hafer front reached 23,000 fighters in Aleppo countryside, according to a Telegram post shared between 3:46 PM and 4:15 PM UTC on January 15. VeSyria fact-checked and debunked claims that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated matters in Syria are heading toward a military solution with the SDF, clarifying that Fidan expressed hope for a peaceful resolution away from military options during a recent press conference, as posted on X in the same 29-minute window. This troop count report follows Syrian army UAV strikes on SDF reinforcements at Tishrin Dam between 2:46 PM and 3:45 PM UTC earlier on January 15 and sightings of Turkish Akıncı drones over Deir Hafer and Maskanah, according to SDF_Syria and BarracudaVol1 on X in the prior reporting period. Damascus has sent large reinforcements to Deir Hafer amid ongoing escalation, as stated by SDF official Elham Ahmed earlier today.
