ISTANBUL

Syria's local communities expelled forces of the YPG/SDF terror group from a city and military site east of the Euphrates in northern Syria on Sunday, according to Syrian media.

“Residents of Al-Shaddadi, south of Hasakah, have expelled SDF elements from the city,” Alikhbaria TV said.

The channel reported that SDF forces set fire to their headquarters in the city amid chaos in the area.

According to the same source, residents of the city of Raqqa have taken control of the military security headquarters in the city and expelled SDF elements from there.

Hasakah province in its entirety, as well as the city of Raqqa, lies within the eastern Euphrates region, which is rich in agricultural resources, oil and gas.

Alikhbaria TV, citing unnamed local sources, said residents of the city of Raqqa “have risen up against the SDF, amid mass defections by members of the group.”

“The people of Raqqa succeeded in expelling the group’s elements (…) and the terrorist militias allied with it from the city.”

According to the channel, community leaders in Raqqa will hand over the city in full to the Syrian government to administer it and to preserve its institutions.

These developments come as the group is reported to be in disarray, as Syrian army forces advanced against the group in Raqqa province.

The army’s Operations Command earlier said that it had taken control of the city of al-Tabqah and the Euphrates Dam west of the province after expelling the SDF terrorists.

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