Two Asayish female fighters were killed during clashes with Syrian government forces in Sheikh Maqsoud district between 6:46 PM and 7:15 PM UTC on January 13, 2026, according to QalaatAlMudiq on X. One was described as the youngest among Kurdish fighters killed and had appeared with General Ziad, a commander previously killed in the area. An Assadist group, Azrael Regiment, announced four of its fighters were killed in the same clashes in Sheikh Maqsoud, as reported by QalaatAlMudiq citing the group's statement. The presence of ex-regime fighters with SDF in Sheikh Maqsoud follows reports of SDF recruitment east of the Euphrates. An intelligence source for Al-Ikhbariya stated that the SDF recruits individuals wanted by the Syrian state and fugitives, including remnants of the fallen regime and criminals, in exchange for shelter, with support from Iran and the Kurdistan Workers' Party, according to QalaatAlMudiq. The source added that PKK elements cooperating with SDF bombed Aleppo city using Iranian-made suicide drones and that Syrian Military Intelligence thwarted several terrorist operations during SDF escalations in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. PKK members supply former regime remnants with explosives and booby-trapping tools to target civilian gatherings, Syrian army, and security forces, the Al-Ikhbariya source said in the same report.
