Syrian Military Declares New Four-Day Ceasefire With Kurdish-Led Forces Amid Rising Tensions

The Syrian military has announced a new four-day ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria, following weeks of intense clashes and the collapse of an earlier truce. The announcement comes at a highly sensitive moment, as security concerns grow over the fate of thousands of detainees linked to the Islamic State group.

Earlier on Tuesday, guards from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) abandoned their posts at a major detention camp in the region, prompting alarm from Damascus. The Syrian military said the withdrawal allowed detainees to escape, further destabilizing an already fragile security situation.

The camp, al-Hol, is one of the largest detention sites in Syria and houses mainly women and children who are family members of Islamic State fighters or are accused of having ties to the extremist group.

Hours after the incident, both the Syrian government and the SDF confirmed a new four-day truce, signaling an attempt to de-escalate the conflict after a previous ceasefire agreement broke down. Fighting between the two sides has continued for nearly two weeks, fueled by disagreements over how to implement a proposed deal to merge their forces under a unified military structure.

Negotiations over the integration plan have stalled, deepening mistrust and triggering repeated confrontations on the ground. While the Syrian military confirmed the new ceasefire, there was no immediate public response from the SDF regarding the truce or the accusations surrounding the abandoned camp.

The situation at al-Hol has long been a major concern for regional and international actors. The camp has been described as a breeding ground for extremist ideology, with overcrowding, limited resources, and persistent security challenges. Any breach in its security raises fears of Islamic State elements regrouping or spreading instability beyond Syria’s borders.