Field sources reported Syrian Arab Army forces engaging PKK/SDF positions near the strategic Tishrin Dam east of Aleppo between 1:16 PM and 1:45 PM UTC on January 13, 2026, according to a post on X by ehsanAtassi. The area is currently witnessing heightened military tensions. The second return convoy departed from Afrin in northern Aleppo countryside for Al-Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo during the same 29-minute period ending at 1:45 PM UTC, carrying temporarily displaced residents after the areas were secured and PKK militias and SDF expelled, as stated by omar_alharir on X. These developments follow Syrian Democratic Forces detonations of the Um Tina bridge east of Deir Hafer and two additional bridges earlier today, as reported by QalaatAlMudiq in the previous reporting window ending at 1:15 PM UTC. The Syrian military had declared Deir Hafer and Maskana closed military zones earlier on January 13, urging SDF withdrawal east of the Euphrates. SDF artillery bombardments on Deir Hafer villages and a sniper incident targeting a civilian were reported by the Syrian Army and Raqqa SL over the prior hour ending at 12:15 PM UTC, amid reinforcements sent by both sides to the eastern Aleppo front.
