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Syrians flee to govt-held areas ahead of possible offensive
Gulf Today
|January 17, 2026
Scores of people carrying their belongings arrived in government-held areas in northern Syria on Friday ahead a possible attack by Syrian troops on territory held by Kurdish-led fighters east of the city of Aleppo.
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Many of the civilians who fled used side roads to reach government-held areas because the main highway was blocked with barriers at a checkpoint that previously was controlled by the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, journalists observed.
The Syrian army said late on Wednesday that civilians would be able to evacuate through the “humanitarian corridor” from 9 am to 5 pm on Thursday. The announcement appeared to signal plans for an offensive against the SDF in the area east of Aleppo.
There were limited exchanges of fire between the two sides.
This story is from the January 17, 2026 edition of Gulf Today.
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