| 2026 northeastern Syria offensive | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theSDF–Syrian transitional government clashes (2025–present), theArab tribal insurgency in Eastern Syria of theSyrian conflict | |||||||||
 Military situation in northeastern Syria as of 20 January | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Syrian transitional government[a]Supported by:  Turkey[1][2][3][4] Arab Tribal and Clan Forces |  Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Kurdistan Workers' Party (claimed by Syrian transitional government and Turkey)[5] | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Ahmed al-Sharaa Murhaf Abu QasraAli Noureddine al-Naasan Anwar al-Saleh al-Hamoud[14] Anas Khattab |  Mazloum AbdiFerhad ŞamîSipan HamoBahoz Erdal (per Syrian transitional government and Turkey)[5] | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| c. 1,000 killed[23] | c. 1,000 killed[23][24] | ||||||||
| 152 civilians killed and 322 injured (as of 18 January)[citation needed] | |||||||||
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Personal
Political offices
President of Syria Incumbent
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On 13 January 2026, theSyrian transitional government launched an offensive against the Kurdish-ledSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the territories of theDemocratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES). Initially focused on easternAleppo Governorate, around the towns ofDeir Hafer andMaskanah, the offensive expanded on 17 January toRaqqa,Deir ez-Zor andAl-Hasakah Governorates.
On 18 January, the Syrian presidentAhmed al-Sharaa unilaterally announced a 14-point ceasefire agreement with the SDF, negotiated through the US envoyTom Barrack, under which the SDF is set to be integrated into the Syrian government, and the governorates of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor immediately handed over to the government, together with the administration ofprisoner-of-war camps forIslamic State members, all border crossings and oil fields. The SDF commander-in-chiefMazloum Abdi acknowledged the agreement later that day, saying that he would visitDamascus to discuss the deal.[11][13] Clashes persisted the next day, with both sides accusing the other of violating the ceasefire.[25] Media outlets reported that the meeting between Abdi and al-Sharaa had gone poorly, with no agreement being reached.[26]
On 20 January, the Syrian government announced a ceasefire, starting at 20:00 local time. The army would not enter the city centres ofal-Hasakah andQamishli or Kurdish villages. Sharaa granted the SDF four days to work out an integration plan.[9][27] On 24 January, after initial disclaimers, the Syrian government declared a 15-day extension of the ceasefire, effective from 23:00 local time, to support the US operation to transfer Islamic State detainees from SDF prisons toIraq.[28] On 30 January, the government announced that it had reached a comprehensive agreement with the SDF, which includes a ceasefire, gradual military and administrative integration, and the deployment ofInterior Ministry forces in al-Hasakah and Qamishli.[29]
In December 2024, anoffensive spearheaded by theTurkish-sponsoredHay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ended with thefall of the Assad regime and brought the HTS emirAhmed al-Sharaa to power as president of Syria in January 2025. Thesecond administration of Donald Trump that also commenced in January 2025 saw the United States accept Syria as a Turkish sphere of influence, as President Trump renewed his push to withdraw US troops from the country.[30] The "new era" in US–Turkish relations was marked by an increased US sympathy to Turkish complaints against theSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and by the appointment ofTom Barrack as the US ambassador to Turkey and Syria, assumed in May 2025.[31] In May 2025, during avisit to Saudi Arabia, Trump lifted the USeconomic sanctions against Syria.
Representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces were not invited to theSyrian National Dialogue Conference of late February 2025,[32] called by theSyrian transitional government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a consultative measure for the provisionalConstitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic that was ratified on 13 March 2025.[33] On 10 March 2025, following athree-month offensive byTurkey and Turkish-backedSyrian National Army against the SDF, the Syrian transitional government and the SDF signedan agreement concerning the integration of the SDF into Syrian state institutions, whose implementation was delayed by further negotiations and fighting. The SDF continued to push for thefederalization of Syria and presided over a gathering ofSyria's minorities in al-Hasakah in August 2025. The conference's call for amending the transitional constitution drew condemnation from Damascus.[34][35]
The territory controlled by DAANES was excluded by the Syrian transitional government from theparliamentary selection process in October 2025, with the allocated seats remaining empty,[36] although in December 2025 Sharaa's electoral commission decided to appoint subcommittees to conduct the selection process in "some areas" of the Al-Hasakah and Raqqa governorates.[37] In November 2025, while hosting Sharaa inWashington, D.C., Trump admitted Syria to the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, undermining SDF's position as the US strategic ally in the country.[38][39]
On 4 January 2026, an SDF delegation led by the commander-in-chiefMazloum Abdi met Syrian officials in Damascus for a new round of talks on integration per the March 2025 agreement. Brigadier General Kevin J. Lambert, the commander of theCombined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), took part in the discussions per SDF media; it was not clear whether the Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa was personally involved. Both sides announced that further talks would follow. The form of the agreed integration remained contested, with Damascus demanding individual absorption of SDF fighters into existingSyrian Army units. The government issued no official statement about the meeting, whereas the Syrian state television alleged that the meeting delivered no "tangible results" regarding the implementation of the existing agreement.[40][41] According to the Kurdish side, the meeting achieved "a positive outcome" but was terminated abruptly by the Syrian foreign ministerAsaad al-Shaibani.[42][43]
On 5 and 6 January, Syria's foreign minister al-Shaibani andGeneral Intelligence Service directorHussein al-Salama met inParis for a round of talks, mediated by theUS Special Envoy to SyriaTom Barrack, with representatives ofIsrael, which hadinvaded Syria in 2024:[44][45][46] ambassador to the USYechiel Leiter, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu's military secretaryRoman Gofman and acting national security adviser Gil Reich.[47] Under US guidance, the sides made first steps towards a projected broad security and economic cooperation pact similar to the 1994Israel–Jordan peace treaty that would eventually see the restoration ofGolan Heights to Syria.[48] The Syrian officials presented a plan to recapture some territory from the SDF, which they had previously accused Israel of backing, and met with no objection from the Israelis,[42] despite Barrack's previous belief that Israel favoured Syria's division intocantons for strategic reasons.[49] The Syrians also received from Turkey an assurance of American approval for their operation against the SDF, on the condition that "Kurdish civilians were protected".[42]
On 6 January, the Syrian transitional government launched an offensive to capture the Kurdish inhabitedSheikh Maqsood neighbourhood ofAleppo. Following days of clashes the Syrian army and SDF reached a ceasefire agreement on 10 January, under which the SDF withdrew from the neighborhood to northeastern Syria.[50]
Before the larger operations took place, on 16 January, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree in an attempt to ease tensions with the SDF, declaring the Kurds as a "basic part of Syrian people", also declaringKurdish as a national language, and granting further rights to theKurdish minority.[51] On 28 January, Syrian Interior MinisterAnas Khattab ordered the immediate implementation of a decree covering those who were formerlystateless, annulled the 1962 Hasakah census measures, and set 5 February 2026 as the deadline to finalize the process.[52]
On 13 January, the Syrian army declaredMaskanah andDeir Hafer as "closed military zones", accusing the SDF of regrouping in the area and usingIranian-made drones to launch attacks against civilians in Aleppo.[53] The SDF reportedly destroyed three bridges linking SDF-controlled areas with government-held territory east of Aleppo.[54] The Syrian army claimed that it had thwarted an attempt by the SDF to mine and blow up a bridge linking the villages ofRasm al-Imam and Rasm al-Krum, near Deir Hafer.[55] On 14 January, the Syrian Army's Operations Authority announced the opening of a humanitarian corridor, that crossesDeir Hafer toward Hamima, controlled by the Syrian government forces and added that clashes occurred near theTishrin Dam,[56][57] the SDF repelled an assault in the city of Zubayda.[58] On 15 January, the SDF closed theTabqa,Raqqa andDeir ez-Zor border crossings with the Syrian government, "until further notice".[59]
On 16 January, SDF commander-in-chief,Mazloum Abdi said onTwitter that the SDF would withdraw fromDeir Hafer on 17 January, that this step came "based on calls from friendly countries and mediators, and our demonstration of good faith in completing the merger process and commitment to implementing the terms of theMarch 10 agreement."[60] Reportedly on the same day, six members of the SDF deserted to the Syrian government forces.[61] The SDF repelled an attack on Tishrin Dam, claiming 10 tanks destroyed, the SOHR later confirmed two.[62][63] The SDF repulsed numerous attacks near the Sarrin countryside.[64]
On 17 January, following mediation from the US, the SDF withdrew from Deir Hafer and Maskanah, with the Syrian army entering the towns a few hours later.[65][66] Local people greeted the Syrian army.[67] Later, the SDF reported clashes inDibsi Afnan [ar], following a "betrayal" by the Syrian government forces and a violation of the agreement.[68] Arab tribal leaders in SDF-held territory inDeir ez-Zor Governorate told Reuters they were ready to take up arms against the Kurdish force if the Syrian army issued orders to do so.[69]
The SDF accused the Syrian army of violating the withdrawal agreement by attacking its forces during its withdrawal.[70] Two Syrian army soldiers were killed by the SDF in the ensuing clashes.[71] In response, the Syrian government declared the territory west of theEuphrates, which was under SDF control, as a 'closed military zone', including the areas of southern Raqqa governorate with the city ofTabqa.[66][72][better source needed] After the exacerbated tensions, the Syrian army began attacking areas ofTabqa Canton.
On 18 January, Syrian government forces captured Al-Tabqah,Euphrates Dam and the Tabqa Airbase. Additionally, Syrian army captured the entire eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside, along with all its town and villages, as well as the oil and gas fields located in the region including theAl-Omar field, the country's largest, and theConoco gas field.[12][73] State-runSyrian Arab News Agency (SANA) has reported that SDF has blown up a bridge connectingRaqqa and positions south of it,[66] also cutting the water supply.[74] At around noon, tribal forces took control of Raqqa after major clashes, with the Syrian army entering the city after a few hours.[75]
AnAssociated Press journalist in the area said that local residents greeted the large military convoys of the Syrian transitional government that entered Raqqa, after the withdrawal of SDF forces from the city. Syrian military forces also took control of the oil fields in Raqqa,[76][77] and of the Conoco gas field and Omar oil field in eastern Deir ez-Zor, after Arab tribal forces allied to the Syrian government advanced through the regions along the Syria-Iraq border.[76][77][78] This was after Arab tribal fighters launched an offensive into the eastern bank of Euphrates and captured theal-Shuhayl andal-Busayrah towns.[79]
The SDF repelled an attack by Syrian government forces in the village of Saida, in the rural area ofAyn Issa,[80] while local tribal fighters reportedly capturedAl-Shaddadah andMarkada in Hasakah governorate.[75][81] Additionally, tribal forces captured 13 villages to the south of the city of Hasakah.[82]
On 20 January, theCJIT-OIR began targeting government aligned tribal fighters with airstrikes aroundAl-Hawl refugee camp.[83] The SDF managed to repel numerous assaults on Al-Hawl camp and secured its southern perimeter,[84] but later withdrew from the area, citing "international indifference" towards the issue of ISIS prisoners.[85] The Syrian army reportedly deployed to positions that the formerly pro-SDFShammari tribal fighters seized in northeastern Hasakah Governorate like theAl-Yaarubiyah border crossing with Iraq andTell Hamis after they defected to theSyrian Ministry of Defense. Syrian and Iraqi media reported that the tribal fighters are members of theAl-Sanadid Forces. Syrian forces also captured theQara Qozak bridge andSarrin, near Kobani.[19]
Local sources reported that Syrian Forces took control three villages nearMount Abdulaziz in western Hasakah Governorate on 20 January without SDF resistance. Local sources separately reported that Syrian Forces took control of at least five villages north of the Qara Qozak Bridge without SDF resistance on 21 January. The MoD also advanced from Tal Hamis to take control ofTell Brak in Hasakah Governorate after the SDF withdrew from its positions there on 21 January.[86]
| Part of a series on theSyrian civil war |
| Syrian peace process |
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History |
Secondary concerns |
States directly involved in the Peace Process |
On 17 January, a meeting was held inErbil in theKurdistan Region of Iraq between theUS Special Envoy to SyriaTom Barrack and the Kurdish representatives, which included the SDF commander-in-chiefMazloum Abdi, head offoreign relations of theDemocratic Autonomous Administration of North and East SyriaÎlham Ehmed,Kurdish National Council president Mihemed Ismail andMasoud Barzani.[87][88] According to theSyrian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the purpose of the meeting was to communicate the new accord reached between theUnited States and the Syrian government.[89] During the meeting, Abdi accused Barrack of failing to honour pledges that Kurds would be allowed to administer Kurdish-majority areas, and that the SDF would be integrated as a brigade-sized formation at the least and stationed in the northeast. Barrack in turn criticised Abdi for delaying the implementation of the integration agreement signed in March 2025, and accused him of attempting to involve Israel in the conflict.[85][90] Masoud Barzani asked Barrack to arrange a follow-up meeting between Abdi and the Syrian president Sharaa, and offered to "guarantee" the resulting agreement.[90]
Barrack then travelled to Damascus and early on 18 January concluded an agreement with Sharaa that stipulated a ceasefire, integration of the SDF into the Syrian Army, and the establishment of Syrian government control over the three provinces administered by the SDF since theSyrian civil war.[89] InRaqqa Governorate,Abdul Rahman Salama was appointed governor on 19 January.[91][92] The governor of Aleppo,Azzam al-Gharib, announced the appointment, stating that Salama had assumed the position of governor of Raqqa.[93]
On 18 January, the US military issued a public call for Syrian troops to stop advancing, which went unheeded.[76] Later that day, Al-Sharaa publicised the 14-point agreement, which appeared to have been signed separately by Abdi and by himself, in his own press statement, announcing the entry of the Syrian Army into the three provinces. The Syrian Army then declared a nationwide ceasefire. Abdi subsequently acknowledged the deal and confirmed the withdrawal of the SDF from the governorates of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Al-Sharaa and Abdi confirmed their intention to meet on 19 January in Damascus to discuss further details; al-Sharaa stated that Abdi's visit[c] had been delayed by weather.[76][95]
The terms of the ceasefire deal gave the Syrian transitional government immediate military and administrative control of theDeir ez-Zor Governorate and Raqqa Governorate. In addition, all civilian institutions inAl-Hasakah Governorate were to be integrated into the Syrian state structures. Across northeastern Syria, Damascus was to assume control of all oil and gas fields, international border crossings, andprisoner-of-war camps forIslamic State members established by the SDF. The agreement also stipulated that the SDF would be integrated into the Syrian Army on an individual basis, and obliged the SDF to expel non-Syrian members affiliated with theKurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) from the Syrian territory (a point welcomed byTurkey[75]) and to provide lists ofBa'athist officers present in the region. Other provisions foresaw a "dignified" return of refugees to theAfrin Region and theSheikh Maqsood neighbourhood in Aleppo, a demilitarisation ofKobani, and a ban on recruitment of Ba'athist elements into the SDF leadership.[11][13][76][87][88][95]
On 18 January, the SDF withdrew east of the Euphrates, leaving also theal-Omar oil field on its eastern bank. The Syrian Army then seized the evacuated areas.[78][96] Abdi's post-ceasefire meeting with al-Sharaa in Damascus on 19 January failed to produce any results, withAl-Monitor reporting that al-Sharaa had made new demands, including the handover of Al-Hasakah Governorate. The outlet also reported that Syrian Kurdish officials believe that Turkey had pressured al-Sharaa into making further demands beyond those outlined in the agreement signed on 18 January. Not long after the meeting, president of the United StatesDonald Trump held a phone call with al-Sharaa, demanded an end to fighting, and apparently obtained a commitment from al-Sharaa not to enteral-Hasakah, which his troops were advancing on.[26]
Hostilities went on throughout the day. In the early hours, the Syrian Army enteredal-Shaddadah in the al-Hasakah Governorate.[97] Clashes broke out between the SDF and Syrian government forces near the city's prison, which housed thousands of Islamic State prisoners of war.[98] Fighting also took place for the prison of al-Aqtan in the city of Raqqa[26][97][99] and, according to the SDF, inAin Issa in the Raqqa Governorate.[100] The city of al-Shaddadah along with its prison was captured by the Syrian Army.[101][102][103] The SDF accused Turkey of launching a drone attack on al-Hasakah late on 19 January.[104] The SDF claimed that 1,500 ISIS fighters had escaped from Al-Shaddadah prison.[8] A US official said that 200 low-level ISIS fighters had escaped from al-Shaddadi prison after SDF left the facility, adding that many of the escapees had been re-captured by the Syrian Army.[105]
On 20 January, the Syrian government proclaimed a new ceasefire agreement, temporarily committing its troops to stay out of the city centres of Hasakah and Qamishli or Kurdish villages in the Hasakah province. The SDF was given a four-day consultation period to develop a "practical mechanism" for integration of the areas remaining under its control.[9] Sharaa then reiterated his guarantees for Kurdish "national, political, and civil rights" in Syria to ex-president of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani, who in his turn expressed support for the new ceasefire agreement.[27] Barrack stated on X that the US does not endorsefederalism[d] and acknowledged that individual incorporation of SDF members into the Syrian Army "remained among the most contentious issues".[106] Mazloum Abdi announced that the SDF had fallen back to Kurdish-majority areas in Kobani and al-Hasakah province, and declared that protecting those areas would be a "red line" in continued negotiations with the government.[107] Saying they would not carry out military actions unless government forces attacked them first, the SDF declared they were ready to implement the 18 January agreement.[108] However, the SDF claimed that government-aligned forces were shelling its positions shortly after the ceasefire came into effect.[109]
The SDF handed control of Qamishli and Hasakah to theShammar, an Arab tribe with good relations with the SDF. The SDF and Syrian government have worked out a timeline for the implementation of the agreement.[110] Dutch journalistWladimir van Wilgenburg reported that Kobani has been besieged by the Syrian government, with water and electricity being cut.[111]
On 21 January, DAANES foreign relations headÎlham Ehmed sent a letter to theUnited Nations Security Council ahead of its meeting on the next day, in which she complained of unilateral ceasefire violations by the government and asked for a formal negotiation process to be established under aUnited Nations special envoy with the participation of interested states.[112]
As of 22 January, two days into the ceasefire, clashes were reported by theUnited Nations to continue in various areas of the Al-Hasakah Governorate and around Kobani.[113] Local SDF units claimed to have repelled an attack by the Syrian Army outsideSarrin, south of Kobani.[114] On the same day, Abdi and Ehmed met with Barrack,CENTCOM commander AdmiralBrad Cooper and President of the Kurdistan RegionNechirvan Barzani in Erbil to discuss extending the truce.[115][116][117] Following the meeting, Admiral Cooper came to Syria to "contain the situation" and ensure that the government forces had implemented the ceasefire as a prerequisite for the US transfer of over 7,000 IS prisoners to Iraq.[10]
On 23 January, the SDF said the ceasefire deadline could be extended but the Syrian government denied this was under discussion.[118] Turkish foreign ministerHakan Fidan suggested that the ceasefire should continue while the US is transferring Islamic State prisoners from detention facilities in north-east Syria to Iraq,[119] a process to be completed in a matter of days.[120] On the same day, the Syrian government took over control of the al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa from the SDF, after crowds of civilians had tried to storm the facility, and allowed for the safe passage of 800 SDF troops and civilians to the besieged Kobani, in a concession obtained from President Sharaa by the CENTCOM "as a measure to cool things down" while the IS prisoners are moved to Iraq.[121][122] Russia moved troops from theKhmeimim Air Base inLatakia to its outpost at theQamishli International Airport.[123]
On 24 January, the SDF claimed to hold a frontline 20 km away from al-Hasakah.[124] A prolongation of the ceasefire was reported ahead of its expiry on 24 January, with unauthorised sources in Damascus suggesting a maximum duration of one month and the DAANES claiming to have already submitted its integration proposal through Barrack.[125] TheMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates then dismissed the circulating reports as inaccurate, while describing the deadline as referring to "the future of al-Hasakah province".[126] It also denied receiving a "positive response" to government proposals.[127][128] Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab AffairsMohammed Taha al-Ahmed accused the SDF of seeking truces to gain time and spreading rumors of deadline extensions while failing to respond to government proposals and nominate candidates for senior positions offered by Damascus. He noted that Damascus had no broad objection to SDF figures taking government roles.[129] The SDF accused the government of preparing a further escalation in a "systematic manner" and claimed to have observed "military build-ups and logistical movements".[127] On 24 January at 23:00 local time, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced a 15-day extension to the ceasefire to support the US transfer of IS prisoners to Iraq.[130][131]
On 25 January, the SDF issued a statement accusing "Damascus factions" of breaching the ceasefire with "serious and repeated violations against populated areas in the Jazira and Kobani regions", and asked agreement guarantors to intervene without delay. It reported anarmored attack on al-Chalabiyah near Kobani, shelling of al-Qasimiyah near Kobani that killed a child, asuicide drone attack nearGirkê Legê, and attacks against three other villages; four SDF fighters and three civilians were said to have been wounded.[132][133] TheSyrian Arab News Agency reported single SDF artillery hits in the villages of al-Jamal nearJarabulus and al-Hawi west of the Euphrates, without casualties.[134]
On 30 January, the Syrian government announced that it had reached a comprehensive agreement with the SDF, including a ceasefire, gradual military and administrative integration, the deployment ofInterior Ministry forces inal-Hasakah andQamishli, the integration of local institutions into the state, guarantees of civil and educational rights for the Kurdish community, and the return of displaced persons.[7] On 2 February, theGeneral Security Service forces began deploying in al-Hasakah to implement the agreement signed between the SDF and the Syrian government.[135] The next day, the Syrian Ministry of Interior said its units began entering the city of Qamishli in Hasakah to implement the agreement.[136] PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa met with a delegation from theKurdish National Council at the People’s Palace in Damascus.[137]
On 4 February, the SDF’s head of public relations,Nour al-Din Issa Ahmad, was appointed governor ofAl-Hasakah Governorate.[138] His appointment was officially confirmed by al-Sharaa on 13 February after apresidential decree was issued.[139] The SDF previously nominated al-Din Issa Ahmad for the position as part of an agreement with the Syrian government on the region’s administration.[140] On 6 February, a Syrian Defense Ministry delegation, led byBrigadier generalHamza al-Hmaidi, met with SDF representatives in Hasakah to discuss the integration of SDF personnel into the Syrian Army and the implementation of the remaining terms of their agreement.[141] On the same day, an Operations Command delegation, along with senior Syrian Army officers, met with the SDF and toured several sites in Hasakah to begin implementing the agreement.[142] On 10 February, units of the Syrian Army began withdrawing from the outskirts of al-Hasakah under the agreement with the SDF, while monitoring continues for the next phase.[143]
On 13 February, Syrian Foreign MinisterAsaad al-Shaibani and SDF Commander-in-ChiefMazloum Abdi met U.S. Secretary of StateMarco Rubio on the sidelines of theMunich Security Conference.[144] The meeting marked one of the highest-level encounters between the two Syrian leaders and a U.S. official since the war in areas held by Kurdish-majority forces ended with an integration agreement.[145] TheSyrian Arab News Agency reported that the meeting addressed “key local and regional developments, with an emphasis on Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”[146]
PerUnited Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the government assault on the Kurdish districts of Aleppo "forced tens of thousands from their homes in Aleppo" and into Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakeh governorates;[147] according to the SDF, 35,000 Aleppo households were uprooted.[112] The subsequent displacement from Raqqa affected more than 13,000 people by 18 January.[147]
TheInternational Organization for Migration was said to have reported that 5,725 persons had fled the offensive to the Al-Hasakah Governorate by the first ceasefire on 18 January, and that the figure rose to 134,803 by 21 January.[148] The refugees mainly came from Raqqa and Tabqa.[149] The population from the villages surrounding Kobani also took refuge in the city ahead of its siege by the government forces.[150]
The NGO Mezopotamya Göç İzleme ve Araştırma Derneği allegedforced displacement as part of anethnic cleansing policy by the government, and called for international delegations to monitor the situation in the region.[151]
In Raqqa, the offensive damagedcritical infrastructure, including disruption to the mainwater supply. In Deir ez-Zor, it causedpublic services to be suspended, depriving civilians of education and healthcare. The displaced population was facing harsh winter conditions, with shortages of food, shelter, tents and heating fuel. Hundreds of families unable to leave Tabqa took refuge in public buildings.[149] The SDF side reported difficulties with access to electricity, water, medicines and baby food in Kobani, where the state of siege continued as of 24 January.[152] As of 24 January, four children were reported to have died in Kobani hospitals as a result of extreme cold and malnutrition.[153][154]
ThePermanent Peoples' Tribunal stated the Syrian government had committed war crimes against civilians.[155] The SDF released a video on 19 January that appeared to show four mutilated bodies of its members (two men and two women) with slit throats.[99][156] According to theSOHR, the Syrian government forces carried out executions of SDF detainees, others suffered verbal abuse such asracist insults and humiliation.[157] Human rights analysts, such asWilson Center's Nadine Maenza, gathered apparent evidence ofsummary executions, including beheadings of captured SDF personnel, and abuse of civilians.[158] On 23 January, the SOHR reported the killing of four young SDF captives by government allies in the seized Tabqa, after which the bodies were mutilated and a video sent to a victim's family.[159]
The Syrian government claimed execution of prisoners in Tabqa by the withdrawing SDF and called on the international community to join in the condemnation.[160] SANA also reported that SDF snipers have killed and injured several civilians in Raqqa.[161] Charles Lister, the director of Syria Initiative at theMiddle East Institute, who had been received by Sharaa in September 2025,[162] alleged that SDF snipers had shot more than 40 civilians dead in Raqqa and that the SDF had killed multiple protesting civilians inAl-Asharah on 18 January,[163] while theSyrian Ministry of Interior stated it was investigating reports of massacres in theAl-Hasakah Governorate.[164] TheSyrian Network for Human Rights counted 22 civilian victims of SDF fire during the tribal forces offensive against SDF on 18 January.[165] The DAANES co-chair of foreign relations Îlham Ehmed denounced the reports as fabricated by "sabotaging parties that are not committed to the ceasefire".[166] The SDF has acknowledged that one of its fighters was involved in the massacre of 21 people during a failed government forces attack south of Kobani, and said it referred the perpetrator to amilitary court. The SDF described the dead as "armed men", while "local activists" claimed that they were civilian detainees recently released by DAANES;Türkiye Today referred to them as detained "soldiers".[167][168][169]
A participant in thePeoples' Equality and Democracy Party demonstration inNusaybin in Turkey on 20 January was severely beaten by the Turkish police, extracted from hospital and charged with terrorist propaganda.[170] Late on 22 January, an organised group of men infiltrated a local Kurdish pro-DAANES demonstration inAntwerp inBelgium and wounded six participants with knives; four perpetrators were arrested.[171]
According to theInstitute for the Study of War, in seeking to exploit the shock of their rapid advance against the SDF, Sharaa's forces prevented an "organised handover of SDF security responsibilities" against ISIS and imperilled theUS mission in Syria. The ISW judged that the deployment in the offensive of the Syrian Army's72nd Division, whose units had participated in Turkish offensives against Kurdish forces during theSyrian civil war (2016–17Operation Euphrates Shield, 2018Operation Olive Branch, 2019Operation Peace Spring), "raised serious concerns about the Syrian government’s commitment to preventing further communal violence".[16]
The former US special envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the LevantJames Franklin Jeffrey argued against the criticism that the United States had betrayed the SDF by permitting the offensive. He pointed out that the US had long regarded its alliance with the SDF as "temporary, tactical, and transactional" due to a concern about "interfering in Syria's future internal structure or antagonizing Turkey", and that it had only ever "committed to defend the Kurds militarily" from the Islamic State, the Ba'athist regime under Assad, Russia and Iran, not from the transitional government under Sharaa or Turkey.[172]
Syria: PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa issued a decree enshrining the recognition ofKurdish identity andNowruz as a national holiday.[173] The Syrian representative to the United Nations Security Council described the offensive as a "limited security operation" provoked by alleged SDF attacks that was expanded on account of SDF's "intransigence" and PKK presence. He asserted there was no discrimination in Syria and criticised the SDF for trying "to exploit the issue of Da'esh detainees".[174]Syrian Democratic Forces: Commander-in-chiefMazloum Abdi explained in a televised statement that he accepted to withdraw his forces from the Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor governorates in order to preventcivil war, vowing to protect SDF's gains "to the end".[13][175][176] The SDF took the position that the ceasefire agreement was imposed on them by Damascus and regional powers through war and that it deprived them of their rights. They criticised the situation in Syria as lawless.[149]Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria: Foreign relations headÎlham Ehmed criticised the lack of government response to previous integration proposals and the unelected and unaccountable character of Sharaa's power. She described DAANES as a multi-ethnicdirect democracy and rejected its identification with "the Kurds" as reductive. She demanded that the affairs of the Middle East be decided through popular participation.[112]
Democratic Union Party: Party leadership member Fawza al-Yusuf issued a call for a general mobilization of "Kurdistani forces" due to an alleged threat of genocide against the Kurds in Rojava.[100]
Druze community: Dozens of protesters gathered in Al-Karama Square to demonstrate in support of the SDF andHikmat al-Hijri.[177]
Syriac National Council of Syria (SSNC): Council head Bassam Ishak,Syrian Democratic Council representative in Washington, DC, criticised the 16 January decree by President Sharaa on Kurdish rights as a "hasty step" and a "political favor" aimed at "creating a rift between the Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces" and improving the international image of the government. He argued that "rights are not consolidated through presidential decrees, especially not during a transitional phase".[178] He later described the ceasefire agreement as a "temporary understanding" and called for "careful monitoring to guarantee a seamless and secure integration process, free from any threat to civilian safety".[179]
China: TheMinistry of Foreign Affairs stated that "China hopes Syria could realize peace and stability as early as possible", adding that it hopes "factions in Syria could advance the political reconciliation process through dialogue and negotiation, and find the national reconstruction plan that suits the interests of the Syrian people".[180]
France: On 18 January, PresidentEmmanuel Macron expressed his concern about the Syrian government offensive against the SDF and his support for Syria's territorial unity. He called for the ceasefire to be made permanent and for integration of the SDF into the Syrian state structures per theMarch 2025 agreement.[75][181][182] On 22 January, responding to street demonstrations by the Kurdish community, theMinistry for Europe and Foreign Affairs described the Kurds in Syria as "brothers-in-arms" and declared that President Macron and Foreign MinisterJean-Noël Barrot were making diplomatic efforts to support "this" inclusive Syria and to "put an end to this violence as much as possible".[183]
Iraq: On 19 January, thePopular Mobilization Forces' 25th Brigade was sent to the Iraqi-Syrian border in order to prevent a spillover of the conflict and possible infiltration by ISIS elements.[19] In separate phone calls held with al-Sharaa and Abdi on 21 January, Iraqi prime ministerMohammed Shia' al-Sudani stressed the importance of dialogue in maintaining stability.[184]
Italy: Deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairsAntonio Tajani, who met with Masoud Barzani inRome on 21 January, declared his support for theKurdistan Region of Iraq and for "the Kurdish people in this region", praised Barzani's efforts in Syria that he said promoted Arab–Kurdish coexistence, and expressed Italy's readiness "to do what is necessary to support this dialogue between the different parties".[185][186]
Pakistan: Acting permanent representative to the United Nations Usman Jadoon called for adherence to the ceasefire, inclusivity and respect for diversity, and political integration of the SDF.[187]
Saudi Arabia: Following a call between Syrian president Sharaa and Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs praised the US efforts behind the 18 January ceasefire agreement, welcomed the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state, and reaffirmed "full support for the efforts of the Syrian government to strengthen social peace and to preserve Syria's sovereignty and territorial unity".[188]
Switzerland: TheFederal Department of Foreign Affairs called for de-escalation, expressing concern about "tensions between different population groups", "worsening humanitarian and security situation" and "reported violations of international law".[128]Turkey: On 15 January, foreign ministerHakan Fidan warned after meeting US ambassador to Syria Tom Barrack in Ankara that Syria could make further attacks on Kurdish forces if "dialogue" failed, while theMinistry of National Defence said Syria and Turkey were "one state, one army" for security purposes and vowed to provide support on request to Syria against the SDF, which it labelled a "terrorist organisation".[189] On 18 January, PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan promised Sharaa continued support in pursuing what he described as "the complete elimination of terrorism from Syrian territory",[75] while theTurkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the hope that the ceasefire agreement would "contribute to the security and peace of … the entire region, particularly Syria's neighbors".[190] Two days later, Erdoğan warned that the SDF had to disarm and disband, while promising to continue the peace process.[191] Fidan questioned the right of the SDF to represent Syrian Kurds.[192]
United Kingdom:Permanent representative to the United Nations James Kariuki called for adherence to the ceasefire and an inclusive political transition, stating "deep" concern with the humanitarian situation and the reported escapes of Islamic State members.[193]
United States: On 18 January, US Special Envoy to SyriaTom Barrack, who helped negotiate the agreement, stated his expectation of "the seamless integration of our historic partner in the fight against ISIS with the Global Coalition's newest member".[190] On 20 January, he issued a statement declaring that the US "had no interest in long-term military presence" and that "the original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground had largely expired", and urged the SDF to use the renewed offer of "full integration" from Sharaa's government, describing it as "a unique window".[194] President Donald Trump suggested that the SDF had made "tremendous" economic profit from fighting IS and said the US were "trying to protect the Kurds" before underlining his friendship with Turkish president Erdoğan.[195]
United Nations: Farhan Haq, spokesman for Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres, encouraged negotiations and stated that the UN "doesn't want to see any sort of outcome which would allow Da'esh fighters to escape or to reorganize".[149] The UN expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Kobani.[128]
European Union:European Commission presidentUrsula von der Leyen described the "violent escalations" in Aleppo as "worrisome" during her 9 January visit to Damascus, before committing to an aid package of €620 million for the Syrian government over 2026–2027.[196][197][198][199]
Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (Turkey):Tuncer Bakırhan, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, said that the integration agreement was removing any excuses for the Turkish government not to engage in the ongoingPKK–Turkey peace process and warned the government against regarding it as a weakening of the Kurdish forces in Syria.[200] The party organised demonstrations inNusaybin on the Syrian border.[201]
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Iraq): LeaderBafel Talabani strongly condemned the Syrian government's assault on Rojava as an "act of barbarism against the Kurdish people" and asked the United States to "protect civilians and preserve stability".[202]
Socialist Party (India): Foreign Relations Committee issued a statement demanding international protection of the Kurdish people, described as "everyone's favourite enemy", under theCharter of the United Nations, and of Kurdish women in particular from "Julani's crazed soldiers". It called for "peoples of the world", including India, to reject "US imperialism" that "unravelled decades of secular societies in Syria" as "principled global citizens".[206]
In January 2026, thousands ofKurds and their supporters worldwide organized widespread protests to condemn the military offensive launched by the Syrian transitional government against Kurdish-controlled territories in northeastern Syria. Demonstrations were organized by the Kurdish diaspora inSwitzerland,[207]Germany,[208]Austria,[209]Canada,[209]Belgium,[171]the Netherlands,[209]Norway,[209]France,[210] theUnited Kingdom,[211][212][213]Greece,[210]Cyprus,[214]Lebanon,[215] andIraq.[216] Similar protests were held inIstanbul.[217][218] During the56th World Economic Forum in Davos, hundreds of Kurds staged protests to draw international attention to the military crisis in Syria.[219]
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