The Syrian Defense Ministry contacted residents still remaining in Deir Hafer and Maskana in eastern Aleppo countryside via SMS messages tonight between 8:17 PM and 8:46 PM UTC on January 15, urging them to stay away from SDF positions and providing details on the evacuation corridor, according to QalaatAlMudiq on X. The ministry extended the corridor until tomorrow due to SDF closure of the main road, allowing only a small number of civilians to reach government-held areas via alternative routes. This development follows the Syrian Arab Army's prior extension of the humanitarian corridor near Deir Hafer until 5:00 PM Friday and accusations against SDF-allied groups for blocking civilian passage, as reported by AlekhbariahSY and SDF_Syria on X in previous updates. Deir Hafer had become a ghost town after widespread civilian evacuations in anticipation of a military operation, per syrianFactCheck on X. In related context on Syria-SDF dynamics, a post by ajaltamimi on X during the same 29-minute window referenced a deal on the table since October 2025, agreed by both sides before U.S. mediators, amid ongoing differences over SDF autonomy.
