Syrians greet extended army-SDF ceasefire with guarded optimism 

Syrians in the northeast of the country have welcomed an extended ceasefire of 15 more days between the military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a day after its announcement.

Government troops have seized large swaths of northern and eastern territory in recent weeks from the SDF in a rapid turn of events that has consolidated President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule, as Syria seeks internal stability and secures the external lifeline of reintegration into the international fold and the economic revival that comes with it. The eruption of fighting has rocked a nation trying to recover from nearly 14 years of ruinous civil war.

The truce extension has offered a respite amid mounting tensions as the government’s army closed in on the last SDF strongholds last week. Al-Sharaa abruptly announced the ceasefire on Saturday, giving the SDF until that night to lay down arms and come up with a plan to integrate with the army or to resume fighting.

The extension gives the SDF more time for such a plan.

Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Raqqa, said the ceasefire extension has been received positively in the region. “The news certainly lifted the mood of the residents here in Raqqa,” he said.

He added that locals said they want long-term stability with schools, which “have not been operational in a meaningful manner in a decade”, reopening in the region.

Basravi said the government aims to use the coming two weeks to “cement a long-term ceasefire and focus on reconstruction efforts”.

Extension after truce expired

An hour before midnight – hours after the four-day truce expired – the Defence Ministry announced that its forces would cease military operations for a further 15 days to support an ongoing US operation to transfer ISIL (ISIS) detainees from Syria to Iraq.

“The extension of the ceasefire comes in support of the American operation to transfer Islamic State detainees from SDF prisons to Iraq,” the statement said.

The SDF confirmed the extension, saying it was reached “through international mediation, while dialogue with Damascus continues”.

“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” it said in a statement.

Al Jazeera’s Basravi said people have been celebrating not only the extended truce but also the release of minors from al-Aqtan prison, among other people, held imprisoned on unjust charges, according to locals.

“So, the Syrian administration here is going through all of those case logs and looking for anyone who is underage or unjustly accused,” Basravi said. “They are separating dangerous detainees, particularly the ISIL ones, from everyone else.”

The Kurdish authorities, who previously managed al-Aqtan prison, said in a statement on Saturday that a section of it hosted juveniles “who were involved in crimes” as well as “others, who had fallen victim to recruitment and exploitation by ISIS”.

“Due to security circumstances, the Prisons Administration transferred these juveniles approximately three months ago from the juvenile detention centre to al-Aqtan Prison,” it said, adding that they received special treatment in accordance with international standards during their time there.

Fraught Syria government-SDF talks

Al-Sharaa, whose forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive in late 2024, has promised to bring all of Syria under state control, including SDF-held areas in the northeast.

But Kurdish authorities, who have run autonomous civilian and military institutions there for the last decade, have resisted joining with state and military institutions.

After a yearend deadline for the merger passed with little progress, Syrian troops launched the offensive this month.

They swiftly captured two key Arab-majority provinces from the SDF, bringing key oilfields, hydroelectric dams and some facilities holding ISIL fighters and affiliated civilians under government control.

ISIL swept across Syria and Iraq in 2014, taking over vast swaths of both countries and declaring Raqqa its de facto capital, committing massacres and other heinous atrocities before ultimately being vanquished by the SDF and a United States-led coalition.

There have been concerns of a regional ISIL resurgence, especially in Syria, where the group has carried out deadly attacks on Syrian and US forces.