Syria’s Defence Ministry said it had extended a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for 15 days to support a US-led operation to transfer Islamic State detainees from SDF-run prisons in northeast Syria to Iraq.
The ceasefire extension takes effect at 11 pm on Jan. 24, ministry said.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which is affiliated with the SDF, questioned the government’s justification for the move. In a statement, it said Damascus’s claims that the ceasefire was linked to the transfer of Islamic State detainees “confirm that the military option and the launch of further attacks on our areas remain on the table.”
The extension follows a US Central Command operation launched last Wednesday to relocate Islamic State detainees from northeast Syria to Iraq “to ensure the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.” CENTCOM said up to 7,000 detainees are expected to be transferred to Iraqi custody.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani said the temporary transfer was intended to safeguard both Iraqi and regional security. He added that countries whose nationals are affiliated with Islamic State must repatriate them and subject them to judicial proceedings.
On Jan. 20, Syria’s presidency said Damascus and the SDF had reached mutual understanding on issues related to the future of Hasakah province, giving the SDF four days to consult internally before agreeing on a detailed integration mechanism.
Humanitarian access
The Syrian army also announced the opening of two humanitarian corridors in Hasakah and Aleppo to allow the entry of aid and the evacuation of humanitarian cases.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ representative in Syria, said a relief convoy was heading to the northern town of Kobani. In a post on X, he said 24 trucks carrying food, relief items and diesel departed Aleppo for Ayn Al-Arab (Kobani) with the cooperation of Syrian authorities.
Human Rights Watch said both government forces and the SDF must protect civilians and ensure aid access. “The parties should not arbitrarily block aid delivery or destroy or obstruct access to critical infrastructure,” the group said in a report on Sunday.
Hasakah province currently hosts 111 shelter centres, including 18 in Hasakah city and 77 in Qamishli, according to figures from the rights organisation Hevdesti (Synergy).
The ceasefire extension comes amid continuing tensions despite a broader agreement announced on Jan. 18, when Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa signed a deal providing for a ceasefire and the full integration of the SDF into Syrian state institutions.
Under the agreement, SDF-affiliated forces were to withdraw east of the Euphrates River, while administrative and military control of Deir Al-Zour and Raqqa provinces would be handed over to the Syrian government.
Hours after the deal was announced, the Syrian army said three soldiers were killed and others wounded in two attacks targeting its forces in northeast Syria. The army accused “terrorist groups affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and remnants of the fallen regime” of attempting to obstruct the agreement.
The SDF said clashes had erupted near Al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, which houses Islamic State detainees, and accused Syrian army forces of continuing attacks on its positions in Ain Issa, Al-Shaddadi and Raqqa.
