Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of a northern town Saturday morning after the command of Kurdish-led fighters said it would evacuate the area in an apparent move to avoid conflict.
Army units took control of the city of Maskanah on Saturday, according to the military, and are continuing to advance.
There have been several confrontations between Kurdish forces and the Syrian military since the Islamist-led government of interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa came to power just over a year ago.
Sharaa has pledged to unify the country after 14 years of civil war, but the Kurds want guarantees of their autonomy.
The SDF’s commander, Mazloum Abdi, had…