ADDS DETAILS
By Mohammad Sio
ISTANBUL (AA) - Syria has extended a ceasefire with the terrorist organization YPG/SDF by 15 days, the Defense Ministry said late Friday in a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The ministry said the ceasefire will apply across all operational sectors of the Syrian Army and will take effect at 11 pm on Jan. 24, 2026.
According to the statement, the extension is intended to support a US operation to evacuate detainees from the ISIS (Daesh) terror group currently held in prisons run by the SDF and transfer them to Iraq.
The announcement came hours after the Syrian government said a four-day truce with the SDF had ended and that authorities were considering their next steps following the expiration of that agreement.
The developments came after the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that it launched a mission to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq to ensure the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.
The mission began with US forces transporting 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in northeastern Hasakah province to a secure location in Iraq, with plans for up to 7,000 detainees to eventually be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.
On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said the ceasefire with the SDF took effect at 8 pm local time (1700GMT) and was intended to ease tensions while talks continued.
The Syrian presidency announced separately that a “mutual understanding” had been reached with the SDF on the future of eastern Hasakah province.
Under the understanding, the SDF was given four days to conduct consultations and prepare “a detailed plan for practical integration of the areas,” the presidency said.
If an agreement is reached, Syrian forces will not enter the city centers of Hasakah and Qamishli and will instead remain on their outskirts, the statement added.
The presidency said the two sides agreed to integrate all SDF military and security forces into the structures of defense and interior ministries, while consultations continue on technical details.
According to the statement, SDF head Mazloum Abdi will nominate a candidate for deputy defense minister, as well as one for Hasakah governor. The group will also submit lists of nominees for representation in the People’s Assembly and for employment in various state institutions.
Syrian forces will also not enter Kurdish villages, the presidency said, noting that no armed forces will be present there except for local security units drawn from the residents of those areas.