According to a statement from the Army’s Operations Command, hundreds of SDF fighters have surrendered in recent hours, many of them with their weapons, representing one of the largest transfers of territorial control since the start of the operation.

So far, Syrian forces have secured control over 34 villages and towns in eastern Aleppo, the statement clarified.

This advance comes after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced their withdrawal from the area west of the Euphrates River.

However, the Syrian army reported that PKK militias remain deployed in several villages and towns west of the Euphrates, blocking the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and harassing its forces.

The army reiterated its intention to continue extending its control over the region and will respond to any attacks against its positions.

Furthermore, the Syrian army declared the area west of the Euphrates a closed military zone after an attack by PKK militias against its forces, which occurred while they were monitoring the implementation of the agreement stipulating the withdrawal of armed groups from the contact lines east of Aleppo.

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