The Syrian Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued exchanges of fire on the Deir Hafer front in eastern Aleppo throughout October 5th, 2025. This escalation followed earlier SDF actions and subsequent Syrian Army responses, with both sides reportedly deploying military reinforcements to the area during the reporting period. The SDF stated that "Damascus-affiliated militants" initiated an attack with a "suicide drone" and a second drone targeting one of their patrols, resulting in seven SDF fighters sustaining injuries, according to an SDF statement released earlier in the day. Amidst these ongoing tensions, Syrian government forces implemented road closures affecting routes between SDF-controlled territories and Damascus. Official sources confirmed the complete closure of the Ethria-Raqqa road, preventing vehicles from SDF-held areas from proceeding and disrupting movement. The SDF deployed military equipment including Lenco BearCat armored vehicles, HMMWVs, Soviet BTR-70s, and various rocket launchers and machine guns to Dayr Hafir, while the Syrian Arab Army received significant reinforcements including heavy weapons and advanced support units, according to Eastern Naqimi correspondents. In parallel, the announcement of Syrian parliamentary election results continued across various regions. In Jisr Shughur, southwest Idlib, two candidates were identified as a former director of the town's National Hospital and the deputy head of the Syrian Pharmacists Syndicate, as reported by QalaatAlMudiq. In Afrin, northern Aleppo, three winners were reported to be Kurdish: a high school teacher, a medical doctor, and a former local council member, according to azelin. While not directly related to the military activities, a social media post by BassamAboAdnan on October 5th, 2025, recommended a video of a "comfortable spontaneous" encounter in Damascus involving a woman named Umm Mazen. These developments follow earlier reports of SDF bombings in Aleppo countryside towns and subsequent Syrian Army targeting of SDF positions. The parliamentary elections have been described by Charles Lister as having "encouraging results in terms of local representation" and representing "another step in the right direction." Additional reports indicated the governor of Raqqa State and the Head of the Syrian Sports Federation were mentioned by Antiochian Rum, though details were unclear. In Raqqa, the SDF reportedly constructed dirt berms on the Raqqa-Deir Ezzor road, diverting traffic into neighboring villages, according to Eastern Naqimi correspondents.
