AANES orders border closures as ISIS threat rises in northeast Syria

Shafaq News– Damascus

On Thursday, the Autonomous Administration of North
and East Syria (AANES) ordered the immediate closure of all border crossings in
the Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor cantons until further notice, citing a “sharp
deterioration” in security.

The directive, issued by the General Administration
for Border Security and Arrivals, suspended travel and froze commercial
movement, fuel deliveries, and food convoys across both sides of the Euphrates
and along lines with Syria’s government. It followed earlier closures by
Damascus-aligned authorities, warning of possible breaches or military
escalation, particularly around Manbij and eastern Aleppo. Humanitarian cases
and accredited international agencies were exempt.

In a separate statement, AANES criticized what it
called unwarranted escalation by government factions, arguing that opening new
fronts after more than 15 years of war would undermine any political process
and deepen internal divisions. Rejecting incitement, the administration urged
dialogue and reaffirmed support for a “decentralized Syria” with
equal rights.

Since December 2025, Aleppo has seen escalating
tensions between Syria’s government factions and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) that have killed at least 24 people and injured about 129,
according to the city’s Health Directorate. Meanwhile, SDF-affiliated media
reported 10 civilian deaths in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, including four
women and two children, and the displacement of more than 165,000 people.

The SDF warned that ISIS cells are exploiting the unrest
to target detention sites, prompting heightened security at all prisons. “The
continuation of this situation, and the accompanying military escalation, could
lead to general instability … threatening to return the region to square one
after years of sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.”

Official Statement Regarding Prison Security and the Risks of Destabilization in North and East Syria. In light of the security situation imposed by the attacks of Damascus factions, and the accompanying military buildups and ongoing threats against areas of North and East…

— Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) January 15, 2026

Despite the group’s territorial defeat, ISIS
remains active through dispersed sleeper cells operating across Syria,
including in border regions near Iraq and Lebanon. US
State Department data indicate the SDF currently holds about 8,950 detainees,
many of them seasoned fighters, and around 43,250 noncombatants, including
roughly 25,000 children, in crowded camps.

US Central Command reported in late 2025 that US-led
forces and regional partners detained more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed
over 20 during the year, including nearly 25 captured or killed in 11
mid-December operations that destroyed weapons caches and militant cells.

Read more: ISIS regroups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon: a new strategy?