Local sources reported that Syrian army units took control of Ayed prison and its surroundings southwest of Tabqa between 7:46 PM and 8:15 PM UTC on January 17, 2026, while Al-Zwaiqat neighborhood in Tabqa city was liberated, according to Raqqa_SL on X and BarracudaVol1 on X. Senior SDF commander Abu Ali Bard told Rudaw that clashes continue along the Aleppo-Raqqa administrative border, accusing Syrian army forces of violating a ceasefire, using heavy weapons to seize SDF-held areas, and fomenting chaos in Arab-majority regions under SDF control, as posted by RudawEnglish on X during the period. Clashes involving tribal fighters against SDF occurred in Tabqa, per QalaatAlMudiq on X. In Deir ez-Zor countryside, armed men from Al-Tayana town controlled the local water station, an SDF headquarters, according to DeirEzzor24 on X. Zaino Yasser Mahameed reported explosions and heavy machine gun fire in Gharanij east of Deir ez-Zor, heavy gunfire in Al-Ashara, and shared images of SDF prisoners, via posts on X. These developments follow Syrian army entries into Tabqa city center and clashes there earlier on January 17, as previously reported citing X sources.
