The video shows Russian and Syrian troops as well as members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the village of Arima in the northern part of Aleppo province. The village is located west of Manbij, the key SDF stronghold in this part of Syria.
The SDF members spotted on the video likely belong to the so-called Al-Bab Military Council of the SDF. This small Arab faction was created when the Kurdish-dominated group still had hopes to capture the town of al-Bab in northern Aleppo and to expand its control along the Syrian border further.
Syrian and Russian troops entered the village of Arima earlier this week and restored a local coordination center with the SDF. Pro-government sources speculate that this is a part of the wider deal between the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance and the SDF leadership. However, negotiations are still ongoing.
