ISTANBUL

The Syrian Army on Saturday urged civilians not to enter a previously designated military operation zone in Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo in northern Syria, until the area is secured and landmines are cleared.

“We call on our civilian families not to enter the previously designated operation zone until the Syrian Arab Army completes securing it and removing landmines and war remnants, in order to ensure your safety,” the SANA news agency quoted the army’s Operations Command as saying.

On Friday, the Syrian Army published maps showing four locations used by the YPG/SDF terrorist organization as launch points for its operations in Deir Hafir.

These developments come as Ferhat Abdi Sahin, a ringleader of the YPG/SDF terror group targeted by the army's military operation west of the Euphrates, and claimed that terror elements would withdraw to regions east of the river starting 7 am local time (0400GMT).

The Syrian Army declared areas west of the Euphrates, particularly Deir Hafir and Maskanah, military zones on Jan. 13 and launched an operation against identified terror targets after establishing humanitarian corridors on the M15 highway for civilian evacuations.

On Monday, the Syrian Army sent additional forces to eastern Aleppo after detecting the arrival of more SDF members and remnants of the ousted regime near the towns of Maskanah and Deir Hafir.

In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the terrorist organization YPG/SDF integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country’s territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

However, authorities said the SDF has failed to comply with the terms of those agreements.

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to restore security nationwide since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.