Syrian government troops tightened their grip across a swathe of northern and eastern territory on Monday after it was abruptly abandoned by Kurdish forces in a dramatic shift that has consolidated President Ahmed al-Sharaa's rule.
A day after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to quit large areas under a ceasefire, the sides reported new clashes.
The Syrian army said "a number of" Islamic State militants had escaped a prison that had been under SDF control in the eastern city of Shaddadi, accusing the SDF of releasing them.
On Tuesday, Syria’s Interior Ministry provided updated figures, saying about 120 Islamic State detainees had escaped from Shaddadi prison. This followed an earlier report by Kurdish news website Rudaw, which quoted SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami as saying around 1,500 Islamic State members had fled the facility.
According to the Interior Ministry, Syrian army units and ministry special forces entered Shaddadi following the breakout. Security forces said they had recaptured 81 of the escapees after search-and-sweep operations in the town and surrounding areas, with efforts continuing to arrest the remaining fugitives.
After days of fighting with government forces, the SDF agreed on Sunday to withdraw from both Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, two Arab-majority provinces they had controlled for years and the location of Syria's main oil fields.
Türkiye welcomed the deal signed by its ally Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi. Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan urged the swift implementation of the agreement that requires the full integration of Kurdish fighters into Syria's armed forces.
The SDF, spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, had established control of a quarter or more of Syria during the 2011-2024 civil war, while fighting with the support of U.S. troops against Islamic State.
The United States, which has since established close ties with al-Sharaa under President Donald Trump, has been closely involved in mediation between the sides.
In a phone call on Monday, al-Sharaa and Trump discussed developments in Syria, stressing the need to preserve Kurdish rights within the Syrian state and agreeing to continue cooperation against Islamic State, the Syrian presidency said.
Meanwhile, Abdi confirmed on Sunday that the SDF had agreed to withdraw from Deir al-Zor and Raqqa provinces.
A copy of the 14-point deal published by Syria's presidency showed his signature alongside al-Sharaa's. It requires SDF forces to be merged with government forces as "individuals" rather than units, as the SDF had sought.
Reports indicated a meeting between Abdi and al-Sharaa on Monday did not go well. Senior Kurdish politician Fawza Yousef told Kurdish broadcaster Rudaw that the meeting was not positive, adding that Damascus wanted the Kurds to "surrender everything".
Pro-government Syria TV reported that the meeting failed to produce an endorsement of the deal and that Abdi sought to amend its terms.
The SDF spokesperson declined to comment on the accounts of the meeting. There was no immediate statement from the Syrian government about the meeting.
Government forces deploy
The latest setbacks for the SDF follow the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from districts of Aleppo city they had controlled for years after fighting there earlier this month.
Under the latest agreement, the SDF would surrender to government control prisons holding Islamic State militants, along with all border crossings and oil and gas fields, steps the SDF had long resisted.
The Shaddadi prison breakout has intensified concerns over the handover of detention facilities, as the government moves to assume responsibility for securing Islamic State detainees amid the ongoing redeployment of SDF forces.
The SDF remains in control of most of Hasakah province in the northeast, including the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli.
The SDF media office said in a statement that the prison at Shaddadi - one of three under its control in the Hasakah region had come under repeated attack by 'Damascus factions,' and that dozens of SDF fighters were killed or wounded defending it.
The United States and Israel have carried out large-scale strikes on Iranian leadership and military targets, with Iranian state media confirming t...
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting reta...
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the cle...
Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in...
A number of senior Iranian figures have reportedly been killed in Saturday’s joint U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to Irania...
The United States and Israel have carried out large-scale strikes on Iranian leadership and military targets, with Iranian state media confirming that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. At least nine people were reported dead in clashes near the U.S. consulate in Karachi.
A number of senior Iranian figures have reportedly been killed in Saturday’s joint U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to Iranian state media, Israeli military statements and international reporting. Some of the details remain unverified. .
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Governments across the region responded swiftly to Israel’s strikes on Iran, closing airspace, issuing travel advisories and activating contingency plans amid fears of escalation.
Two people were killed and around 40 injured when a tram derailed in central Milan on Friday (27 February), a spokesperson for the local fire service said.
A senior Iranian official has warned Israel to “prepare for what is coming”, insisting that Tehran’s response to the latest escalation in the Middle East will be made openly and without limits.
The United States and Israel have carried out large-scale strikes on Iranian leadership and military targets, with Iranian state media confirming that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
A number of senior Iranian figures have reportedly been killed in Saturday’s joint U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to Iranian state media, Israeli military statements and international reporting. Some of the details remain unverified. .
The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has triggered one of the most significant political processes in the Islamic Republic: the selection of a new Supreme Leader.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment