Syrian forces secure key town in northern Syria

The Syrian Arab Army said on Saturday it has taken full control of Deir Hafer in Aleppo's eastern countryside, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), which cited the army's operations command, Azernews reports.

Military units have entered the city and begun operations to secure the area, while engineers cleared mines and unexploded ordnance from earlier fighting.

The command said forces are also advancing toward Maskanah, a town southeast of Aleppo on the Euphrates, and Dibsi Afnan, an abandoned locality in the eastern Raqqa Governorate, as part of ongoing operations in the area.

The SDF has issued a statement saying groups of its fighters “remain” besieged in Deir Hafer and Maskana “as a result of the Damascus government’s treachery and violation of the internationally sponsored agreement”.

The Kurdish-led group alleged that its fighters were attacked by tanks in violation of the agreement which had stipulated a 48-hour period for withdrawal and called for guarantees of safe passage.

There was no immediate comment by the Syrian government.