Syria's army said it took control of the town of Deir Hafer outside Aleppo city on Saturday, a day after Kurdish forces agreed to withdraw from the area following recent clashes, APA reports.
In a statement to state television, the army said it had established “full military control” of Deir Hafer, while an AFP correspondent on the ground saw troops deploying inside the town.
After driving out Kurdish forces from Aleppo city last week following deadly clashes, Syria’s army deployed reinforcements near Deir Hafer and told the SDF to evacuate the area between the town and the Euphrates River, around 30 kilometers (18 miles) further east.
On Friday, Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi committed to withdrawing his US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday morning “towards redeployment in areas east of the Euphrates”, based on “calls from friendly countries and mediators.”
The defense ministry had welcomed Abdi’s announcement, saying army troops would deploy in the areas after the SDF withdrew.
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10:57
The Syrian army has announced that its first military units have begun entering the Deir Hafir area, west of the Euphrates River, which is under the control of the terrorist organization YPG, APA reports, citing Turkish media.
No additional details regarding the incident have been disclosed so far.
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