Tribal forces clashed violently with PKK organization in all neighborhoods of Raqqa city between 11:46 AM and 12:15 PM UTC on January 18, 2026, as residents raised the Syrian flag on 23 February Street in the city center and tribal forces liberated Al-Mishlab neighborhood east of the center and Al-Sabahiya neighborhood, according to DeirEzzore on X. DeirEzzore reported mass flight of PKK members from outside the city, with liberation of Hazima town north of Raqqa and Al-Qahtaniyah west of the city cutting PKK supply lines. Zaino Yasser Mahamid posted on Telegram that people in the regions control SDF mechanisms and shared images of regime remnants from SDF fronts. Omar_alharir stated on X that hearts of Raqqa people are full from SDF criminals. AJENews reported Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi, and US envoy Tom Barrack will meet today. Barzani called for stopping fighting between interim Syrian government forces and SDF, returning to prior agreements, and praised the Syrian presidential decree on Kurdish rights, per mutludc on X. Vvanwilgenburg shared video reportedly from Shaddadi. Obretix posted images of a church in Tabqa converted into PKK headquarters with tunnels and drone facilities, including a Chinese Mugin-3 UAV kit. These clashes follow tribal captures of Raqqa Military Intelligence Branch and advances east and west of the city earlier this morning, as previously reported.
