Syria’s government has accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of launching attacks that it claims killed 11 Syrian soldiers on Wednesday, even as the SDF rejected key elements of the allegations and countered that at least one deadly explosion was caused by mishandling of explosives by government troops themselves.
These incidents have raised serious doubts over the viability of a four-day ceasefire announced on Tuesday, which came after several days of intense fighting in Syria’s northeast. The truce was intended to create space for negotiations, as Damascus pushes the SDF to accept a plan that would see it integrated into the central Syrian state.
According to the Syrian government, an SDF drone strike killed seven soldiers who were securing a captured military base that reportedly contained explosives, an act Damascus described as a dangerous and deliberate escalation. The SDF denied carrying out any drone attack and rejected the government’s version of events.
The SDF said the blast occurred when Syrian soldiers were transporting or handling explosives and accused government forces of violating the ceasefire by launching attacks in multiple locations. It said these actions undermined the truce that had only just come into effect.
Later on Wednesday, Damascus claimed that the total death toll among its forces had risen to 11 soldiers killed and 25 wounded in what it described as SDF attacks on army positions during the first day after the ceasefire announcement. The SDF did not issue a response to this broader accusation.
After days of swift advances against SDF-held areas, the Syrian government announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the Kurdish-led group on a four-day ceasefire. Under the proposal, the SDF would agree to integration into the central state, with Damascus warning that failure to comply could lead to a major assault on the last two significant cities still under SDF control.
The government’s advance has cast serious doubt on the future of years-long Kurdish de facto autonomy in northeast Syria and carries wider implications for Syria’s relations with the United States and Turkey, as well as for the fate of thousands of detained Islamist militants held in the region.
Turkey’s president said on Wednesday that the SDF, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation, must immediately lay down its arms and dissolve to prevent further bloodshed. His remarks underscored Ankara’s firm support for Damascus’s push to dismantle SDF control.
The United States, which previously backed the SDF as its primary partner in the campaign to defeat Islamic State militants, did not oppose the government’s offensive and on Tuesday urged the Kurdish group to accept the integration plan. Washington said the original rationale for its partnership with the SDF had ended, though it remains concerned about the security of detention facilities holding Islamic State fighters and associated civilians.
The US military said on Wednesday that its forces had begun an operation in Syria to transfer Islamic State detainees to Iraq, reflecting growing concern over the stability of detention sites amid shifting control on the ground.
The SDF said it had accepted the ceasefire and would refrain from military action unless attacked. Its leader had earlier stated that the protection of Kurdish-majority areas remained a red line, even as pressure mounted from Damascus and its allies.
Northeast Syria, located between the Turkish and Iraqi borders, includes a mix of Arab- and Kurdish-majority areas and contains most of the country’s energy resources, making it strategically vital.
On Wednesday, Syrian troops remained positioned outside the last major SDF-held cities, Hasakah and Qamishli. Reporters in the area said government forces had brought in substantial reinforcements the previous night, including tanks, other armoured vehicles and buses carrying fighters.
Following the ceasefire announcement, government troops halted their advance and awaited further instructions, with next steps dependent on the SDF’s response to the integration proposal put forward by Damascus.
The broader strategic landscape in Syria has shifted dramatically over the past year, following the ouster of the former Iranian-backed leadership in Damascus. The SDF, which once controlled roughly a quarter of Syrian territory under an autonomous system, now faces the prospect of losing that status entirely.
While the United States previously maintained a military presence in the region to support the SDF, its relationship with Damascus has evolved, altering the balance of power in the northeast. Turkey, which has its own military footprint in northern Syria and views the SDF as linked to a long-running insurgency inside its borders, sees the end of SDF control as central to its regional goals.
Turkey’s president welcomed the ceasefire, expressing hope that full integration of the SDF into the Syrian state would open the door to a new phase for the country. He also discussed developments in Syria during a recent phone call with the US president, including the issue of prisoners and the ongoing fight against Islamic State.
