The Operations Directorate of the Syrian Arab Army announced full control over Maskanah city east of Aleppo, Syria, and confirmed forces advancing toward Debsi Afnan, with 34 villages and towns secured in eastern Aleppo, in a statement shared on X between 9:16 and 9:45 AM UTC on January 17, 2026, according to omar_alharir. The Operations Authority of the Syrian Arab Army told Al-Ikhbariya that army forces entered Raqqa Governorate and took control of Debsi Afnan town west of the governorate during the same 29-minute period to 9:45 AM UTC. Syrian Democratic Forces spokesperson farhad_shami stated on X that clashes are occurring in Maskanah due to Damascus government violations of an internationally sponsored agreement, requiring full compliance for SDF withdrawal completion from Maskanah and Deir Hafer. QalaatAlMudiq shared images from inside Jirah Airbase near Deir Hafer after Syrian Democratic Forces withdrawal from eastern Aleppo countryside, noting the base's history of changing hands among rebels in 2013, ISIS in 2014, regime forces in 2017, and SDF in 2024. These developments follow the army's prior entry into Deir Hafer and Maskanah after SDF pullback, as announced earlier on January 17.
