The overall level of violence in Syria remained high over the past two weeks, due to continued intense violence between the transitional government and the SDF in northeast Syria. A total 101 violent deaths were confirmed in the week of January 13-20 and another 111 deaths in the week of January 20-27. To underline the significance of events in the northeast, 96% (203 of 212) of the confirmed violent deaths over the past two weeks were attributed to Government-SDF hostilities.
As with previous weeks, this also underlines the extent to which violence elsewhere in Syria continues its trend of marked decline — with just 11 violent deaths outside of eastern Aleppo, Deir ez Zour, Raqqa and Hasakeh or otherwise unrelated to government-SDF conflict over a two week period. Remarkably, 8 of those 11 deaths were caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO), leaving just 3 non-UXO violent death over 14 days:
One Public Security force operative was shot dead by suspected ISIS militants in a targeted attack in Akhtarin in northern Aleppo on January 14.
One SDF fighter was shot dead in a targeted attack by two ISIS militants on a motorbike in al-Baghouz in eastern Deir ez Zour on January 17.
One MOI Public Security fighter shot dead by a Druze militia sniper in rural western Suwayda on January 24.