Syrian Army launches operation from Tal Abyad toward Raqqa countryside occupied by YPG/SDF
Advance follows local, tribal uprising that largely expelled YPG/SDF terror group from city
Syrian army units enter the Raqqa city center, Syria after local residents and tribal forces largely regain control from the YPG, operating under the name SDF, on January 18, 2026.
TAL ABYAD, Syria
The Syrian Army on Sunday launched a new operation from the Tal Abyad area, targeting southern Raqqa countryside, occupied by the YPG/SDF terror group, opening two fronts from the Turkish border region toward Raqqa and Hasakah.
Syrian Army units started moving into the Raqqa city center, where local people and tribal forces had largely regained control from the YPG/SDF terrorist organization, according to Anadolu sources.
The army began advancing southward from Tal Abyad toward areas in the Raqqa countryside, occupied by YPG/SDF, and toward Hasakah.
Residents gathered in the city center and welcomed Syrian forces, showing their support.
If Syrian forces reach the Raqqa countryside from the Tal Abyad axis, the link between the terror group’s positions in Ayn al-Arab and Hasakah province will be cut.
