Sheikhfbon Kobani, commander of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Hafer, stated between 5:46 PM and 6:15 PM UTC on January 13, 2026, that "if the government decides to advance towards the areas east of Aleppo, we will seize new areas," according to syrianFactCheck on X. A massive YPG/SDF tunnel entrance, large enough to accommodate vehicles and dug in an old quarry, was documented in Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo during this 29-minute period, with geolocation at 36.246927, 37.161418 provided by QalaatAlMudiq on X. A video shared by an ex-regime officer depicts former Syrian Arab Army members mobilizing at an SDF base last night, stating their destination as "Deir Hafer" and subsequently "to the coast," as reported by GregoryPWaters on X citing Time_of_Al-Wasl. Miqdad Ismail, identified as an Assad regime member, appeared with regime remnants and SDF militia in a joint convoy in the Deir Hafer area, announcing a goal of reaching the Syrian coast, according to the same source. These developments occur amid Syrian Arab Army artillery targeting of SDF positions near Deir Hafer earlier on January 13, as previously reported by Al-Ikhbariya and QalaatAlMudiq.
