Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa accused the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of launching attacks on government forces in Aleppo to obstruct the liberation battle before expanding into strategic areas of the city, according to a statement reported by Sky News Arabia at 6:21 p.m. UTC on January 14, 2026. Separately, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that unknown assailants assassinated a member of the Public Security Service with bullets in Akhtarin, northern Aleppo province, as posted on X by @syriahr during the reporting window ending at 6:45 p.m. UTC. Al-Sharaa's remarks follow SDF reports of escalations by Damascus factions in Deir Hafer, Maskanah, and Tishreen Dam since dawn today, per an SDF statement cited in previous updates. SDF leader Saleh Muslim described the defensive situation as chaotic earlier on January 14, according to Almihwar News. These developments occur amid ongoing clashes in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah districts, where Syrian security forces released 60 surrendered SDF fighters tonight, as reported by Qalaat Al Mudiq, and the Syrian Arab Army announced a humanitarian corridor through Hamima village.
