Military members gather near Raqqa prison, where the Syrian army is besieging SDF members after the army took control of the city of Raqqa, Syria Jan. 19, 2026. (Credit: Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters)
BEIRUT — The Syrian government army has been besieging the city of Koban (or Ain al-Arab) for several days, where Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) are holed up, according to local journalists.
Located on the Turkish border, Koban is experiencing "a complete power outage, causing the water supply to stop," due to the capture on Sunday of the Tishrin dam, east of Aleppo, by Damascus government forces.
Internet access has reportedly also been cut off, following the alleged looting of an electrical transformer near the city, as the government army took control on Tuesday of the city of Sarrin, 40 kilometers south of Koban, after crossing the Euphrates.
"Large-scale population displacements are being reported. Residents of the surrounding villages have taken refuge in the city center, where many civilians are sleeping in the streets, schools and mosques due to a lack of shelters," Kurdish media report.
An official four-day cease-fire has been in place since Tuesday evening in northeastern Syria between the Damascus government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) command.
Clashes, however, have continued since then, particularly in the Hasakah region, where the Syrian army has made a rapid breakthrough in recent days.
