Over 30 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defected from their ranks in Deir Hafer, eastern Aleppo countryside, marking the second such split on January 13, 2026, between 6:16 PM and 6:45 PM UTC, according to syrianFactCheck on X. Ground battles have not begun in Deir Hafer. An intelligence source told Syrian Al-Ikhbariya Channel that SDF and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militias recruit individuals wanted by the Syrian state and fugitives in exchange for shelter, including large numbers of fallen regime remnants and criminals, with support from Iran and the PKK network, as reported by omar_alharir on X during this 29-minute period. The source stated PKK elements, cooperating with SDF militias, shelled Aleppo city using Iranian-made suicide drones. Syrian Military Intelligence foiled several terrorist operations amid SDF-PKK escalations in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. PKK elements supply former regime remnants with explosives and booby-trapping tools to target civilian gatherings, Syrian army, and security forces, according to the Al-Ikhbariya intelligence source. Al-Shaheen aircraft destroyed SDF unmanned aerial vehicles, armored vehicles, and military points at Al-Jarrah Military Airport, syrianFactCheck reported in the same timeframe. Tribal revolutionaries raised the Syrian flag in Dhiban, according to syrianFactCheck on X. These events follow SDF commander Sheikhfbon Kobani's statement earlier between 5:46 PM and 6:15 PM UTC that his forces would seize new areas if the Syrian government advances east of Aleppo, as reported by syrianFactCheck.
