The four-day truce between Damascus and the Kurdish-led SDF expired at 8:00pm (17:00 GMT) on Saturday with no confirmed extension, as forces from both sides massed near northeastern Kurdish-held cities. Syrian officials say they are "considering their next options," while the foreign ministry denied any extension. Government troops have recently seized swathes of territory and strategic infrastructure, including the al-Aqtan prison, and both sides have reinforced positions amid a tense and uncertain standoff.
Four-Day Ceasefire in Northeast Syria Expires as Tensions Rise Over Kurdish Integration
The Syrian army has taken control of facilities holding ISIL (ISIS) fighters and affiliated civilians, including the al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa [Ghaith Alsayed/AP]
A four-day ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expired at 8:00pm (17:00 GMT) on Saturday, with no public confirmation of an extension. Troops from both sides were reported massing near the remaining cluster of Kurdish-held cities in northeastern Syria as diplomatic and military pressure mounted over the SDF's integration into state forces.
Standoff Near Kurdish-Held Cities
Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa wrote on X that the government was "now considering its next options." Earlier, Syria's foreign ministry told state news agency SANA there had been no agreement to extend the ceasefire deadline.
"There is no truth to what is being circulated regarding the extension of the deadline with the SDF," SANA quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
As the deadline approached, Kurdish security sources told Reuters that SDF units strengthened defensive positions in Qamishli, Hasakeh and Kobane. Syrian military reporters also described army vehicles and buses carrying fighters arriving near Hasakeh as both sides prepared for a possible resumption of fighting.
Territorial Shifts and Strategic Gains
Government forces have seized large areas of northern and eastern Syria in recent weeks, consolidating the control of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's administration following the upheaval that removed Bashar al-Assad in 2024. State forces have taken control of key infrastructure, including oil fields and hydroelectric dams, and have assumed authority over facilities that held ISIL (ISIS) detainees and related civilians.
The al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa province, which reportedly holds thousands of ISIL detainees, is now under government control. Reporters from Al Jazeera said government forces also took over the al-Hol camp area, which houses tens of thousands of suspected ISIL-affiliated civilians and detainees; no mass escapes were reported during the transfer of control.
Diplomacy and Detentions
Despite hopes for a negotiated settlement, both sides have continued military preparations. Separately, U.S. forces have been transferring hundreds of detained ISIL fighters from prisons in Syria across the border into Iraq, according to reporting.
Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground described the situation as fluid and precarious: decisions appear to be unfolding "one day, one hour at a time," with the immediate priority for many observers being the preservation of the ceasefire, even temporarily.
Sources: Reuters, SANA, Al Jazeera reporting.
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