Syria, Kurds extend truce to allow transfer of IS detainees

DAMASCUS,— Syria’s government and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces agreed on Saturday to extend a ceasefire for an additional 15 days, a move Damascus said was intended to facilitate the ongoing transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria into Iraqi custody.

The Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by state media that the extension would take effect at 11 p.m. local time on Saturday.

The ministry said the decision was linked directly to the US-led operation to relocate detainees held in prisons run by the SDF to facilities in Iraq.

The statement said the extension was meant to support the US-led process of moving Islamic State prisoners from SDF detention centers to Iraq, referring to security coordination taking place during the truce period.

The SDF confirmed the ceasefire extension in a separate statement, saying the agreement was reached through international mediation and that talks with Damascus were ongoing.

The Kurdish force said it remained committed to the terms of the truce and would continue to comply with it during the extended period.

The SDF said respecting the ceasefire was intended to help reduce tensions, protect civilians and establish conditions for stability in northeastern Syria.

The initial truce had been agreed earlier in the week and was set to last four days. It followed significant territorial changes after Kurdish forces withdrew from large areas that were then taken over by Syrian government troops.

During the same period, Damascus sent additional reinforcements to Syrian Kurdistan a Kurdish stronghold in the northeast.

Following the territorial shifts in Syrian Kurdistan, Washington announced plans to transfer approximately 7,000 Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraqi prisons.

The move was framed by US officials as part of broader security coordination with Baghdad.

European nationals were among about 150 high-level Islamic State detainees transferred earlier in the week.

Two Iraqi officials told AFP that a second group of up to 1,000 detainees was being moved on Saturday. The officials said the transfer process was expected to continue over several days.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a televised interview on Friday that extending the ceasefire could be considered in light of the detainee transfers.

Turkey, a major backer of Syria’s new Islamist government, maintains influence over political dynamics in Damascus and remains openly opposed to the Kurds.

Islamic State seized large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, carrying out mass killings and other crimes. The group was later territorially defeated following years of fighting led by Kurdish forces with support from the US-led coalition.

More than 21,000 Kurdish male and female fighters were killed during battles against Islamic State as well as clashes with pro-Turkey Syrian Islamist mercenary groups.

The ceasefire is part of a broader political and security arrangement related to Kurdish areas in Hasaka province in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava). Discussions have focused on integrating Kurdish administration structures into the Syrian state framework.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former leader in Islamic State and al-Qaeda who now serves as Syria’s interim president, came to power after Islamist forces overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

The current authorities have sought to expand government control across the country while pursuing renewed diplomatic engagement, including improved relations with the United States, which has emerged as a key partner.

A Kurdish source said the SDF submitted a proposal to Damascus through US envoy Tom Barrack. The proposal would allow the central government to manage border crossings, a longstanding demand by Damascus.

The proposal also calls for the government to allocate a portion of revenues from border crossings and oil production to Kurdish regions, the source said.

Earlier this month, Syrian Islamist forces recaptured several oil fields, including the country’s largest, during advances against Kurdish positions.

Kobane, a symbolic city of Kurdish resistance against Islamic State, is facing growing humanitarian hardship, residents say.

Supplies of food, drinking water and electricity have become increasingly limited after Syrian government Islamist forces imposed a full siege around the city, while the Turkish border remains closed on the opposite side.

Local reports say Kurdish civilians are living in extremely difficult conditions as access to basic services continues to decline.

(With files from AFP)