Syrian army forces initiated violent clashes and continuous missile bombardments on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions in Deir Hafer, eastern Aleppo countryside, between 7:46 PM and 8:15 PM UTC on January 16, 2026, targeting bases used for attacks on Aleppo, as announced in a Syrian army statement reported by @kaisos1987 on X. Clashes occurred on the Rasm al-Krum and al-Gayariya axes north of Deir Hafer, as well as the Babiri line, with reports of very loud explosions hitting SDF sites in Deir Hafer city, according to X posts by @SyrTurkmenSyr, @Al7khalidi, and @BarracudaVol1. Almihwar News described the bombardments as violent and ongoing by forces aligned with Damascus. The Syrian army statement declared that the response targets PKK militia bases and SDF allies in Deir Hafer, previously ordered evacuated, from which Iranian suicide drones were launched toward Aleppo residents, per @kaisos1987 citing the official announcement. These actions follow artillery strikes on SDF positions in Deir Hafer begun between 7:16 PM and 7:45 PM UTC, as previously reported. Separate X posts commented on President Ahmed al-Shara's Decree No. 13 granting Kurdish rights, with @VivaRevolt criticizing it for insufficient concessions on language and decentralization, while @SimNasr called it historic for restoring 1962 census citizenship.
