5 months ago
2
Syria's authorities and Kurdish forces connected Saturday (January 24, 2026) extended their truce by 15 days, with Damascus saying it was to enactment the U.S. transportation of Islamic State radical detainees from Syria to Iraq.
Several sources had earlier told AFP the truce would beryllium prolonged, with a Syrian authoritative successful Damascus citing the aforesaid reason.
In a statement, the Syrian Defence Ministry said the 15-day hold would instrumentality effect astatine 11 p.m. (2000 GMT) connected Saturday (January 24, 2026).
"The hold of the ceasefire comes successful enactment of the American cognition to transportation Islamic State detainees from SDF prisons to Iraq," the connection added, referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
The SDF besides confirmed the extension, saying it was reached "through planetary mediation, portion dialog with Damascus continues".
"Our forces affirm their committedness to the statement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the extortion of civilians, and the instauration of the indispensable conditions for stability," it said successful a statement.
Damascus and the SDF had initially agreed to a four-day ceasefire aft Kurdish forces relinquished swathes of territory to authorities troops, who besides sent reinforcements to a Kurdish stronghold successful the northeast.
Three sources, including a Kurdish root and a Syrian authoritative successful Damascus, had told AFP earlier connected Saturday (January 24, 2026) that the ceasefire would beryllium extended.
IS transfer
After the SDF mislaid ample areas to authorities forces, Washington said it would transportation 7,000 IS detainees to prisons successful Iraq.
Europeans were among the 150 elder IS detainees who were the archetypal to beryllium transferred connected Wednesday (January 21, 2026), and 2 Iraqi officials told AFP that a 2nd batch of "up to 1,000 IS detainees" were being sent connected Saturday (January 24, 2026).
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose state is simply a cardinal backer of Damascus but hostile to the SDF, had said during a TV interrogation Friday (January 23, 2026) that successful airy of the IS captive transfers, "extending the ceasefire for a portion longer mightiness beryllium considered".
The transportation is expected to instrumentality respective days.
IS swept crossed Syria and Iraq successful 2014, committing massacres and different atrocities earlier yet being territorially defeated by the SDF and a US-led coalition.
The truce betwixt Damascus and the Kurds is portion of a caller knowing implicit Kurdish-majority areas successful Hasakeh state and a broader woody to integrate the Kurds' medication into the state.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's Islamist forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad successful 2024.
The caller authorities are seeking to widen authorities power crossed Syria, resetting planetary ties including with the United States, present a cardinal ally.
The Kurdish root said the SDF submitted a connection to the authorities done U.S. envoy Tom Barrack that would person the authorities managing borderline crossings — a cardinal Damascus demand.
It besides proposes that Damascus would "allocate portion of the economical resources — peculiarly gross from borderline crossings and lipid — to the Kurdish-majority areas", the root added.
Earlier this month, the Syrian service recaptured lipid fields, including the country's largest, portion advancing against Kurdish forces.
On Saturday (January 24, 2026), Syria's authorities freed astatine slightest 126 minors being held successful a situation for IS detainees successful Raqa state successful bluish Syria aft taking implicit the installation from Kurdish forces.
