ap/taz | The ceasefire announced by the Syrian interim government with Kurdish-led militias in the northeast of the country has apparently failed after new fighting broke out. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) called on Monday in a statement on X “All our youth” to join “the ranks of the resistance”: “Just as our comrades forged a historic resistance in Kobane in 2014 and turned the city into a cemetery for (the terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’) (…), today we affirm with the same determination that we will turn our cities (…) into a cemetery for the new (IS)-minded people controlled by Turkey.”
Syrian government troops and Kurdish fighters previously fought in the area around two prisons Members of the terrorist militia “Islamic State”. The SDF says it is withdrawing from the al-Hol camp in Syria. The camp, which the SDF previously controlled, houses thousands of members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia.
The Syrian army said some inmates escaped from al-Shaddadi prison amid the chaos. A curfew was therefore imposed. The army and SDF blamed each other for the prisoners’ escape. The SDF confirmed that they had lost control of the prison, which is located about 50 kilometers from the border with Iraq.
The Kurdish-led militias also said nine of their members were killed and 20 others injured in fighting around al-Aktan prison, northeast of the city of al-Raqqah. A reporter from the AP news agency observed a US convoy entering the prison grounds – apparently with the aim of mediating between the two sides. Washington maintains good relations with the SDF and the government in Damascus.
Trump calls al-Sharaa
The office of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced on Monday evening that he had spoken on the phone with US President Donald Trump. In the conversation, al-Sharaa emphasized the importance of “preserving the unity and independence of the Syrian territory” and ensuring the “rights and protection of the Kurdish people.” In addition, both agreed to continue working together in the fight against IS.
The government in Damascus also warned the SDF leadership via state media not to open prisons as a retaliatory measure or as a means of political pressure. And thus make it easier for IS inmates to escape.
The terrorist militia once controlled large areas in Iraq and Syria and was pushed back militarily by a US-led coalition including the SDF. IS sleeper cells are still carrying out attacks in both countries.
… that we will turn our cities (…) into a cemetery for the new (IS)-minded people
SDF on fighting with government troops
March 2025 agreement not implemented
The background to the current fighting: It happened at the beginning of January Fighting between the SDF and Syrian government troops in Aleppo. The SDF withdrew from there. A few days later, government forces advanced further east, capturing large areas previously controlled by Kurdish-led forces.
It was only on Sunday that the interim government in Damascus announced a ceasefire with the SDF. State media showed interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signing the agreement.
What is in the new agreement between the SDF and the government
According to the agreement announced by Damascus, the SDF should disband and integrate into the Syrian military and security forces. Leading military and civilian SDF representatives are to be given high-ranking positions in state institutions. The SDF should also control the provinces of al-Raqqah and Deir ez-Zor as well as their border crossings and oil and gas fields to the Syrian military and government.
The province of Hassakeh in the northeast is to return its civil administration to Damascus. The administration of prisons and extensive camps with thousands of imprisoned IS fighters and their families is also to be transferred from the Kurdish authorities to the Syrian government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also intervened after the agreement was concluded: Ankara considers the SDF a terrorist organization because they had connections to the now-defunct Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK. Erdogan warned that the SDF should not hinder the implementation of the agreement with Damascus.
Who is in control in Syria
The interim government of former rebel leader al-Sharaa has had difficulty establishing its full authority over civil war-torn Syria since the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024. The Kurdish areas, like that Suweida controlled by Druze militias in the south of the country have so far remained outside their control.
In March 2025, Damascus concluded an agreement with the SDF that provided for a compromise solution. But there was a dispute over the question of whether the Kurdish-led militias should join the new Syrian army as a unified unit – as preferred by the SDF – or whether SDF members should join the armed forces individually – as the government wanted. The conflict remained unresolved until 2026. Now facts have been created on the ground.