Syria announces 15-day ceasefire extension with Kurdish-led SDF

A four-day ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, which expired on January 24 night, has been extended by 15 days, both sides said, offering a respite amid mounting tensions, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

About an hour before midnight, Syria's defence ministry announced that its forces would cease military operations for a further 15 days to support an ongoing U.S. operation to transfer Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq.

The SDF said in a statement that the agreement has been reached through international mediation, "while dialogue with Damascus continues".

Government troops have seized swathes of northern and eastern territory in the last two weeks from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in a rapid turn of events that has consolidated President Ahmed al-Sharaa's rule

Sharaa's forces were closing in on the last SDF strongholds earlier this week when he abruptly announced a ceasefire, giving them until January 24 night to lay down arms and come up with a plan to integrate with Syria's army - or to resume fighting.

Earlier on January 24, a Syrian official said the SDF had not responded to the government's attempts to reach out, while the SDF accused the government of moving towards escalation in a "systematic manner" through military build-ups.

By Khagan Isayev