Syrian govt and Kurdish militia agree to four-day ceasefire

Syrian government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed to a four‑day ceasefire, after both sides reached an understanding on a new integration arrangement, Damascus authorities said, reported by The National on January 20th.

Both sides confirmed the Syrian government – SDF ceasefire after two days of clashes, during which the SDF fighters pushed back against the advance of government forces despite a truce announced.

The Syrian Presidency said the SDF would be granted four days to review a proposed deal outlining terms for the integration of Hasakah province, as well as the incorporation of civilian and military structures in SDF‑held areas into the Damascus administration.

Clashes around SDF‑controlled prisons holding ISIS detainees heightened security fears after reports emerged that some prisoners had escaped during the fighting.

The SDF said it had been “compelled to withdraw” from Al Hol camp, which houses many female relatives of ISIS fighters, following “violent clashes” with forces loyal to Damascus.

The agreed deal stipulated that SDF‑held territory would be transferred under a ceasefire. But the Syrian army’s advance was met with Kurdish resistance, with dozens of people reportedly killed. The SDF urged “young Kurds, men and women” inside and outside Syria to “join the ranks of the resistance.”

The Syrian government accused the SDF of attempting to “confuse matters” through what it described as a clumsy handover of Al Hol.
The government said it “held the SDF leadership fully responsible for any repercussions” stemming from the clashes at Al Hol, adding that it “will not allow any security vacuum that threatens the safety of the region.”

The SDF, in turn, said its forces had redeployed “in the vicinity of cities in northern Syria that are facing increasing risks and threats.” The dispute over Al Hol marked a setback for the Syrian government’s efforts to strengthen control over the oil‑rich territories in the north‑east.

Energy Minister Mohammed Al Bashir visited a recently retaken oilfield in the Raqqa countryside to “assess its condition,” state media said. Education officials were also working to restore Syrian government teaching across the provinces.

Extending Damascus’s authority across the provinces has remained challenging since President Ahmad Al Sharaa, a former rebel commander, led the 2024 offensive that toppled the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad.

Syria’s Interior ministry said Syrian army units and special forces moved into Shaddadi, in Hasakah province, following the jailbreak. It reported that security forces had recaptured 81 escapees during search‑and‑sweep operations in the town and surrounding areas, with efforts under way to track down the remaining fugitives.

SDF spokesman Farhad Shami told the Kurdish TV channel Rudaw that more than 1,500 prisoners had escaped from the jail in north‑eastern Syria. Both sides traded accusations over how the extremists were able to flee the facility, which had been under SDF control.

ISIS cells are believed to remain active in Syria, retaining the capacity to carry out deadly attacks. Until now, prisons holding suspected ISIS members and their families had been under SDF control, but the recent instability has heightened concerns about security at these facilities. The SDF has warned that ISIS could attempt to exploit the turmoil.

The reported escape of ISIS fighters is alarming diplomats. For the expert Cedric Labrousse, the ISIS issue has been used by both the government and the SDF to bolster their international reputation and garner support. “They’re all playing with ISIS trauma,” he said. “They know it will draw global attention, so each side tries to shift responsibility onto the other.”

For the SDF, it is a way to “reinforce the narrative that Ahmad Al Sharaa, a former Al Nusra commander, has not changed, and that he and his forces are still jihadists,” said Labrousse. As for the government, “they want to show that the SDF is not the trustworthy ally the West thought it was.”

The Syrian Information Ministry cast aside warnings and an announcement by the Kurdish administration of an escape attempt from Al Hol camp, which holds thousands of ISIS members and their families. The ministry said the Kurdish leaders’ statement contained “a number of fallacies and accusations aimed at misleading international public opinion and creating confusion.”

Despite a four-day ceasefire between Syria and the SDF being announced by Mr Al Sharaa, clashes have continued.

The statement from Mr Al Sharaa’s office said that, under the new agreement, government forces will be barred from entering the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli as well as nearby Kurdish villages. It added that the timetable and practical steps for integrating Hasakah province into the state’s structures will be determined later.

ISIS once held vast stretches of territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq after its rapid 2014 advance. Although the group was eventually driven out of almost all the areas it controlled, it has continued to carry out intermittent attacks.

The National, Maghrebi.org