The Baggara tribe declared general mobilization against the Syrian Democratic Forces after the SDF killed approximately 120 people from the Bushikh tribe, calling members to gather in Hawaj Al-Bumsa'a, as Arab tribes began assembling in Deir ez-Zor region villages to advance toward Hasakah and lift the siege on local Arabs between 8:46 PM and 9:15 PM UTC on January 18, 2026, according to X posts from BarracudaVol1 and syrianFactCheck. BarracudaVol1 reported tribal warriors gathering in Deir ez-Zor to advance on Hasakah, while syrianFactCheck stated members of Arab tribes are mobilizing in multiple villages with no government intervention so far. The Baggara announcement specifies the SDF responsibility for the Bushikh tribe massacre. Massive demonstrations blocked the Mezzeh Highway in Damascus in solidarity with Al-Hasakah residents, as reported by Ibrahim Abdullah on X during this period. These developments follow Syrian Army and Baggara tribe advances toward Hasakah earlier between 8:16 PM and 8:45 PM UTC, responding to prior SDF killings of over 300 Baggara members in Al-Hasakah countryside, per previous X updates from Al7khalidi and BarracudaVol1.
