Syria army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) report intense gun clashes raging just one day after both sides signed a ceasefire to end weeks of deadly fighting that displaced tens of thousands of people.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has scheduled a meeting with SDF chief Mazloum Abdi, also known as Mazloum Kobani, on Monday. The Kurdish commander missed their sit-down the previous day due to bad weather.
ISIL prison peril in Raqqa and Shadadi
A YPG spokesperson, the armed wing of the SDF, reported clashes around a prison in al-Shadadi holding thousands of ISIL members. Siyamend Ali identified “armed groups” in the attack but provided no specifics.
The SDF Media Centre accused Damascus-affiliated factions of ongoing assaults in Ain Issa, al-Shaddadi, and Raqqa despite the truce. They warned of escalating threats targeting al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, stating such actions could unleash “serious security repercussions that threaten stability and open the door to a return of chaos and terrorism.”
SDF described the clashes as a “highly dangerous development,” particularly concerning government seizure of the prison holding ISIL detainees on Raqqa’s outskirts.
Government forces advance in Northeast
Syrian Defence Ministry officials confirmed government-affiliated forces reached the outskirts of the Kurdish-led city of Hasakah in Syria’s northeast. The SDF permitted their entry under yesterday’s ceasefire agreement.
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced investigations into recent killings reported in Hasakah governorate. President al-Sharaa outlined measures to restore federal authority across the northeast, including Hasakah.
Syrian troops captured control of the strategic al-Omar and al-Tanak oilfields in eastern Deir Az Zor’s countryside, fulfilling a key provision of the March 10, 2025 Damascus-SDF agreement.
Additional fighting erupted in the Bir al-A’ma area near Tishrin Dam in Aleppo governorate countryside. State news agency SANA quoted the army blaming “terrorist groups from the PKK and remnants of the former regime” for ceasefire violations. Three soldiers died and others sustained injuries in two attacks on deployed forces.
Integration agreement falters
Sunday’s sweeping deal mandated full SDF fighter integration into Syria’s regular army alongside handover of public infrastructure and services to the federal government, including ISIL detention facilities.
Raqqa, one of Syria’s largest cities reclaimed from ISIL by SDF in 2017, now sees Syria’s central bank arranging a branch opening after government takeover. The bank urged other institutions to return, calling it a “qualitative leap” in services.
Raqqa and Deir Az Zor, with majority Arab populations, fall under full Damascus civil and military control. Hasakah’s ceasefire limits to civil institutions raises questions about retained military autonomy and potential appointment of a Kurdish governor, possibly Mazloum Abdi himself.
International and economic focus
France convenes a national security meeting today with Syria on the agenda, uniting military leaders and cabinet ministers. Paris remains “faithful” to SDF despite endorsing the ceasefire’s military integration terms.
President al-Sharaa debuts at Davos World Economic Forum Thursday as Syria’s first leader, addressing economic revival after 14 years of war devastation amid growing stability and trade.
Source: Al Jazeera
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