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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Over 500 displaced families arrive in Rojava amid escalation: Official

2026-01-19

[Rudaw] More than 500 Kurdish families displaced from areas west of the Euphrates River have arrived in northeastern Syria (Rojava) as fighting escalates between the Damascus-affiliated forces and the Kurdish-led forces, according to the Kurdish Red Islamic Thingy.

Hadiya Abdullah, co-chair of the organization, told Rudaw on Sunday that "so far, 540 families from west of the Euphrates have reached Rojava."

Abdullah said that 400 families have arrived in Qamishli city, while 100 families headed toward al-Malikiyah (Derik) and 40 others went to Amuda in Hasaka province, adding that "a number of other families are also on their way." She noted that relief teams are prepared to respond and confirmed that "we have deployed mobile medical centers to receive the displaced people."

For his part, Sheikhmous Ahmed, who oversees camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees in Rojava, told Rudaw English on Sunday that large numbers of displaced people have arrived in the Jazira region which encompasses areas east of the Euphrates, covering much of the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka.

He said that "our people from Afrin, Shehba, and Aleppo who had moved to Tabqa and Raqqa - the Kurdish people from around those cities - basically all the displaced from the outskirts and Kobane, many have come to the Jazira region," making it difficult to determine exact figures.

He said security at camps holding Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) members and their families remains stable, adding that "the SDF, Asayish [Internal Security Forces], and the coalition [forces] are still providing them with protection," and stressing that "there have been no problems."

The displacement comes amid heightened tensions after Damascus and allied holy warrior groups attacked the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto military force in Rojava - on Saturday as SDF fighters were preparing to withdraw from parts of eastern Aleppo and the Raqqa countryside. The Kurdish-led force said the attacks took place despite an internationally sponsored truce that granted them "a 48-hour withdrawal period," according to an SDF statement on X.

Following the festivities, Syria’s state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the Syrian Arab Army had taken control of all areas west of the Euphrates River, including Deir Hafer and Maskanah in eastern Aleppo province, as well as Tabqa in the western Raqqa countryside.

Earlier on Sunday, SDF Chief Mazloum Abdi warned that hostilities were continuing despite mediation efforts. Speaking to the Rojava-based Hawar News Agency (ANHA), Abdi described the assaults as "systematic attacks" on Kurdish-administered areas, while stressing, "Our efforts to achieve de-escalation and a ceasefire are continuing with the assistance of international parties."

After expelling Kurdish fighters from two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo earlier this week, which led to the displacement of 150,000 people, Damascus expanded its operations into SDF-held areas of eastern Aleppo province, including Deir Hafer, Maskanah, and surrounding districts. The areas were declared "closed military zones," and residents were ordered to evacuate by Friday evening.

The Times of Israel has a few photos and adds:

An Associated Press reporter in the area said that large military convoys swept into Raqqa city and were greeted by residents. It appeared that the SDF had withdrawn.

The SDF took Tabqa from Islamic State in 2017 as part of its military campaign to take down the Islamic State group’s so-called caliphate, which at its peak stretched across large parts of Syria and Iraq. At the height of its control, Islamic State declared Raqqa its capital.

Posted by:trailing wife

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