Syrian Army loses 11 soldiers as SDF-sent drone detonates at ammo site

On January 21, 11 Syrian soldiers were killed and 25 others were wounded when the PKK-linked terrorist organisation, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), attacked a facility near the Al-Yaarubiyah checkpoint in the northeast of Hasakah, close to the Iraqi border, the Syrian Ministry of Defence said.

The ministry’s Media and Communication Directorate revealed that the Syrian Arab Army discovered a facility used for producing explosives and drone munitions, including several Iranian drones that the SDF was preparing to stockpile, Caliber.Az reports, citing Syrian media.

During a clearance operation by Syrian forces, the facility was targeted by the SDF organisation with a kamikaze drone, causing an explosion.

In January 2026, the Syrian transitional government launched a major offensive in northeastern Syria, capturing key territories from the SDF—including Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, major oil fields, border crossings like Al-Yaarubiyah itself, and parts of Hasakah—while forcing significant SDF withdrawals. Multiple short-lived ceasefires were announced, mediated in part by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, aimed at integrating SDF fighters individually into Syrian forces, handing over strategic assets (oil fields, prisons holding ISIS detainees, border crossings), and incorporating civilian institutions in Hasakah into state control—without full government entry into Kurdish-majority urban centers like Hasakah city and Qamishli if integration plans succeeded.

Clashes persisted despite these truces, with mutual accusations of violations: the government blamed SDF drone/artillery strikes and prisoner releases from ISIS camps, while the SDF accused government forces of attacks on positions and breaching terms.

By Khagan Isayev