Eastern Aleppo witnessed heightened military activity on Friday as United States Air Force F-15 fighter jets were spotted flying at low altitude over the region, coinciding with the redeployment of Syrian government forces into the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) units.

The movement of Syrian troops into territory east of Aleppo marks a significant stage in the ongoing reorganization of forces in northern Syria, following an internationally mediated agreement between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led SDF.

Syrian army units were observed entering Deir Hafer, approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Aleppo city, shortly after the Kurdish-led forces began pulling back from the area. Maskana, another strategic town in the eastern Aleppo countryside, also saw the arrival of government forces as part of a coordinated push to reassert state control over regions that had remained outside Damascus’s direct authority for years.

The SDF announced last week that it would redeploy its forces east of the Euphrates River, following talks with U.S. officials and political initiatives by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Among these steps, al-Sharaa pledged to recognize Kurdish as a national language, signaling an attempt to ease long-standing tensions and integrate Kurdish institutions into the Syrian state framework.

In a statement carried by the state-run Sana news agency, the Syrian army confirmed that its units “began entering the western Euphrates area” and declared that they had established “full military control” over Deir Hafer. Authorities urged civilians to remain out of the area until it is secured and cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance, emphasizing that demining operations remain ongoing.

The presence of U.S. F-15 fighter jets over the eastern Aleppo countryside coincided with the ground movements, underlining continued American air activity during this sensitive transition. While the U.S. military has not commented publicly on the specific flights, American aircraft routinely operate in Syrian airspace as part of broader security missions, including surveillance, deterrence, and monitoring of regional force movements.

F-15s, key assets of the U.S. Air Force, are frequently deployed for air superiority patrols and rapid response in contested areas. Low-altitude flights, such as those seen over Aleppo, are often associated with visible deterrence, reconnaissance, or close monitoring of ground developments. Analysts note that such operations aim to maintain situational awareness while preventing escalation in regions where multiple forces operate in close proximity.

The redeployment of the SDF follows a week of deadly clashes between Kurdish fighters and Syrian government-aligned units, prompting Washington to call for restraint. U.S. officials urged both sides to avoid confrontation and to maintain stability while negotiations over the political and military future of Kurdish-controlled areas continue.

President al-Sharaa has reiterated plans to integrate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into national structures, a move intended to reduce the risk of further internal conflict. The withdrawal of SDF units from towns east of Aleppo represents the first tangible step in this process, enabling Syrian government forces to reestablish control over key population centers and strategic transport routes.

Deir Hafer and Maskana sit along vital links connecting Aleppo to central and eastern Syria. The entry of Syrian army forces into these towns strengthens Damascus’s lines of communication and logistics while diminishing the territory previously administered by the SDF west of the Euphrates.

The U.S. military continues to operate in Syria primarily to counter terrorist threats, including the potential resurgence of Islamic State cells, and to support partner forces. Aircraft operations in shifting control areas are intended to safeguard American personnel, maintain situational awareness, and deter inadvertent clashes.

Despite the Syrian government’s declaration of full control over Deir Hafer, conditions on the ground remain fluid. Military engineers continue to clear mines and explosive remnants, with authorities warning civilians against returning prematurely. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether the redeployment leads to a sustained reduction in regional tensions or further localized instability.

The Syrian army is moving into areas east of Aleppo city, after Kurdish forces started a withdrawal.

Syrian troops have been spotted entering Deir Hafer, a town about 50km (30 miles) from Aleppo.

On Friday, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia announced it would redeploy east of the Euphrates river. This follows talks with US officials, and a pledge from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to make Kurdish a national language.

After deadly clashes last week, the US urged both sides to avoid a confrontation. President al-Sharaa is seeking to integrate the Kurds’ military and civilian bodies into Syrian national institutions.

In a statement to state-run news agency Sana, the Syrian army said its forces “began entering the western Euphrates area”, and declared it had established “full military control” of Deir Hafer.

The military urged civilians not to enter the operations area until it is secured and “cleared it of all mines and war remnants”.

Images showed Syrian forces advancing towards the area, including with tanks.

The move comes after Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi agreed to pull back his US-backed SDF “towards redeployment in areas east of the Euphrates”, responding to “calls from friendly countries and mediators”.

US special envoy Tom Barrack and Mazloum Abdi are set to meet later on Saturday in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

In recent days, the Syrian army had urged civilians to flee the Deir Hafer area, with at least 4,000 people leaving, according to Syrian authorities.

Before the Kurdish withdrawal, President al-Sharaa said he would make Kurdish a national language, and recognise the Kurdish new year as an official holiday.

The decree, announced on Friday, is the first formal recognition of Kurdish national rights since Syria’s independence in 1946. It stated that Kurds were “an essential and integral part” of Syria, where they have endured decades of oppression under previous rulers.

Despite the apparent easing of tensions, disagreements linger. In response to the decree, the Kurdish administration in Syria’s north and north-east said it was “a first step” but called for “permanent constitutions that express the will of the people”, rather than “temporary decrees”.

Meanwhile, after Syrian troops entered areas east of Aleppo, accusing Damascus of “violating” the agreement by moving in earlier than agreed.

Syria’s army also accused the SDF of “violating the agreement”, saying two of its soldiers had been killed by Kurdish forces as the military moved in.

Kurdish forces have been controlling swathes of Syria’s oil-rich north and north-east, much of it gained during the civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group over the past decade.

Following the ousting of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, President al-Sharaa has been seeking to integrate the Kurdish bodies into Syrian institutions.

In March 2025, the SDF signed a deal with the government to that effect. Almost a year on, the agreement is still not implemented, with each sides blaming the other.

The final Kurdish fighters have withdrawn from the Syrian city of Aleppo, after the announcement of a ceasefire deal in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said an agreement had been made via international mediation, securing the safe evacuation of “martyrs, the wounded, the trapped civilians and the fighters” from the city.

Buses carrying the last Kurdish-led SDF members were seen leaving the Kurdish majority neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsoud, according to local media reports.

The latest clashes in Aleppo started earlier this week, after negotiations to integrate the Kurds into Syria’s new government reached a stalemate.

At least 12 people were killed in the latest outbreak of violence, which also saw tens of thousands of civilians displaced after they were forced to flee Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.

The Syrian army shelled the area on Wednesday afternoon after designating the neighbourhoods “closed military areas”, in response to what it alleged were attacks by armed groups in the area.

The Kurdish-led SDF – which insists it has no military presence in Aleppo – called it a “criminal attempt” to forcibly displace residents.

A ceasefire was raised earlier in the week, but Kurdish forces refused to leave the last stronghold of Sheikh Maksoud under the deal.

In March 2025, the Kurdish-led SDF, which controls much of Syria’s north-east and has tens of thousands of fighters, signed a deal to integrate all military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.

Both sides accusing each other of trying to derail the negotiations that followed, with the agreement still not realised almost a year later.

The newest iteration of the ceasefire agreement was mediated by the US and other world powers, following concern that the stand-off in Aleppo risked Turkey’s involvement.

Turkey backs the Syrian government and considers the Kurdish militia that dominates the SDF a terrorist organisation.

In a post to X on Saturday, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said he had met the Syrian president and urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue” in accordance with the March agreement.

He added that the US has welcomed Syria’s “historic transition”, and would extend its support to President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he “works to stabilize the country”.

Syrians made peace signs, waved flags and danced at a rally in central Aleppo to celebrate the end of the Assad regime.

Mass rallies are taking place across the country to mark the end of five decades of authoritarian rule, after former President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia.

Aleppo witnessed, and was ravaged by, intense fighting between the opposition and government forces during the civil war.

Earlier this month it became the first major city to be captured by Islamist-led rebels.

“We’re happy, but there’s still fear,” Samar said. “Why are we still afraid? Why isn’t our happiness full? It’s because of the fear they [the regime] planted inside us”.

Her brother, Ahmed, agreed. “You could be sent to jail for saying simple things. I’m happy, but I’m still concerned. But we’ll never live under repression again”.

His father intervened, to agree with him. “That’s impossible.”

The family lived in a small flat, where electricity was intermittent and heating, inexistent.

Now that they had returned, they did not know what to do, like many others here. More than 90% of Syria’s population is estimated to live in poverty, and there are broader concerns about how HTS, which started as an al-Qaeda affiliate, will run the country.

A woman who lived in a flat nearby said, “No-one could take away my happiness. I still can’t believe that we came back. May God protect those who took the country back.”

At the main square, a man told me, “I really hope we get it right, and there isn’t a return to violence and oppression.”

At Mahmoud Ali’s flat, an “independence flag”, with its four red stars in the middle, had been drawn on a white paper, and put on the coffee table in the living room.

Samar, one of his daughters, told me, “We still can’t believe that Assad is gone.”

Abdulkafi, an English teacher from the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, saw his father for the first time in 20 years on Monday.

“He is 85, an old man. He never dreamed he would see me again before he died,” Abdulkafi told the BBC.

A video of the encounter, seen by the BBC, shows the two men embracing and sobbing with emotion.

Their long separation began when his father, who had been working in Saudi Arabia, returned to regime-held territory, when Abdulkafi had already moved to opposition-controlled areas.

The emotional reunion was made possible by a surprise opposition offensive, which saw the armed rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allies seize swathes of territory, including Aleppo, from forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Abdulkafi is one of several people inside Aleppo who have spoken to the BBC.

They described being treated with respect by HTS fighters and increased supplies of electricity and water, but also fears at war returning to Aleppo and distrust that the former al-Qaeda-linked group’s professed moderation would last.

Many requested anonymity for their own safety. Some details of individual accounts could not be verified due to the difficulty of reporting independently from Syria.

Many people in Aleppo are scared of renewed fighting, the locals the BBC spoke to said. Air strikes by regime and allied Russian forces have already killed dozens, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group.

One man told the BBC his main worry was the bombardment that he feared could hit the city at any point. He said he had stopped his family from even going to the corner shop.

“We’re living in complete apprehension,” he said. He added that the air strikes that have hit the city over the past few days reminded him of earlier periods in the war.

Aleppo, which had been captured by rebels in the early years of the Syrian civil war, was retaken by Syrian government forces backed by Russia in 2016 after a gruelling siege. Since then, the city has mostly avoided direct warfare. The Syrian government claims credit for what it says is the ongoing reconstruction of the city, which until the war was Syria’s commercial hub.

But NGOs and independent journalists accuse the government of widespread human rights abuses there, including torture and killings of civilians and non-existent democratic rights.

Abdulkafi said some of his relatives were afraid to be seen with him for fear of retribution were regime forces to retake the city once again.

“Nineteen Eighty-Four is applied in Aleppo. Assad’s image is on every building, streets, on every corner. He is controlling their minds,” he said, referring to the George Orwell novel about totalitarianism.

One woman said people in Aleppo were “confused and scared” following the rebel takeover. She said she hadn’t left her house at first, but later went for walks and drives with her family after hearing that civilians were not being harassed by the rebels.

“Everywhere was relatively calm. But everyone looked scared and anxious, you could sense it in their faces and their reactions. No-one looked comfortable.

”People are scared, because we don’t trust anyone or what their reaction might be to what’s happening now.

“We feel let down by everyone. We don’t know what’s going to happen to us.”

George Meneshian, a Greek-Armenian political analyst who is in contact with Armenians in Aleppo, said Christians in the city had not experienced any problems since the HTS takeover.

“On the first day, an HTS fighter knocked on the door of an Armenian neighbour and assured them that they would definitely not harm them,” he told the BBC, adding that his sources were afraid to directly speak to the media due to fear of retribution.

“They said they would respect them and allow them to do whatever they want, as Christians and as Armenians.”

But he said Christians were suspicious of HTS promises, saying minority groups in Syria had previously been persecuted by jihadist groups which at first said they would not harm non-Muslims. He said many had grown used to Assad’s rule, which was authoritarian but at least did not actively persecute Armenians.

“There are precedents for Islamist militias initially not harming anyone, but afterwards committing crimes against minorities. Hopefully this will not be the case.”

But Abdulkafi, who lives in the HTS-controlled city of Al-Dana in Idlib, said that minorities had nothing to fear from the group, which he stressed he disagreed with.

“They are showing much more flexibility, because the highest achievement that HTS can get is acceptance from the world. This doesn’t mean that I like them.”

The civil war has been largely dormant since a ceasefire agreed in 2020, but opposition forces still controlled the north-western city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province.

Idlib sits just 55km (34 miles) from Aleppo, which itself was a rebel stronghold until it fell to government forces in 2016.

The current offensive, which was launched on Wednesday, has been led by a jihadist group known at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions backed by Turkey.

HTS was regarded as one of the most effective and deadly of the groups fighting the Assad government and was already the dominant force in Idlib.

The rebels have taken control of Aleppo’s airport and dozens of nearby towns, according to the SOHR.

They also announced a curfew that came into force at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and will remain in place until Sunday.

The Syrian army said rebels had launched “a broad attack from multiple axes on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts” and that battles had taken place “over a strip exceeding 100km (60 miles)”.

It said dozens of its soldiers had been killed and acknowledged that rebels had entered “large parts” of Aleppo.

Government forces said they had temporarily withdrawn from Aleppo, but added earlier that they were preparing a counterattack.

Pictures showed the roads leading out of Aleppo jammed with cars on Saturday as residents tried to leave.

The war in Syria has for the past four years felt as if it were effectively over.

President Bashar al-Assad’s rule is essentially uncontested in the country’s major cities, while some other parts of Syria remain out of his direct control.

These include Kurdish majority areas in the east, which have been more or less separate from Syrian state control since the early years of the conflict.

There has been some continued, though relatively muted unrest, in the south where the revolution against Assad’s rule began in 2011.

In the vast Syrian desert, holdouts from the group calling themselves Islamic State still pose a security threat, particularly during the truffle hunting season when people head to the area to find the highly profitable delicacy.

And in the north-west, the province of Idlib has been held by jihadist and rebel groups driven there at the height of the war.

The dominant force in Idlib is the one that has launched the surprise attack on Aleppo, HTS.

The monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which uses a network of sources on the ground in Syria, reported that Syrian and Russian planes carried out 23 air strikes on Aleppo city and the surrounding countryside on Friday.

The SOHR said 255 people, mostly combatants, had been killed in the fighting, the deadliest between rebels and pro-government forces in Syria for years.

It said opposition forces had taken control of more than 50 towns and villages since Wednesday.

Fighting which had raged since the civil war began in Syria in 2011 had largely wound down by 2020, when Turkey and Russia – Syria’s key ally – brokered a ceasefire to halt a push by the government to retake Idlib.

That led to an extended lull in violence, but sporadic clashes, air strikes and shelling continued.

Idlib is the last remaining opposition stronghold and is home to more than four million people, many of whom have been displaced during the conflict and are living in dire conditions.