Syrian Army Denies Advance, Focuses on Aleppo Evacuations

The Syrian Arab Army says it has not begun any new military operations against the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). An army operations command stated Wednesday that forces are not advancing toward SDF-controlled areas. The announcement was made to the state news agency SANA. Instead, the army says its current priority is ensuring the safe evacuation of civilians. This effort is focused on the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo. The SDF is a Kurdish-led armed group that controls large parts of northeastern Syria. The Syrian army has previously clashed with the group, which it views as an illegal militia.