The Syrian army’s rapid capture of key areas and cities previously controlled by the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) culminated on Sunday in a fragile ceasefire deal with a stern warning from a powerful US senator and experts about the reported crimes of forces controlled by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Al-Sharaa, a former US-designated terrorist who was a member of Islamic State and al-Qaeda, gave the green light to an incursion into territory that had been peacefully ruled by the SDF for more than a decade.
Amid Risch’s warning, reports from Syria claim that clashes between the Syrian army and the SDF continue.
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Some locals welcome the Syrian army after the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Tabqa, Syria, on January 18, 2026. (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)
The news organization, Kurdistan 24showed alleged images of al-Sharaa forces releasing Islamic State prisoners. According to the report, “The Syrian Arab Army releases ISIS prisoners in the city of al-Tabqah.”
“Two great Syrian leaders, driven by the shared vision of liberating their country and people from tyranny, have now come together to forge a better future for all Syrians. This agreement and ceasefire represent a crucial turning point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division.”
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Syrian Army soldiers at the entrance to the Sheik Maksoud neighborhood during ongoing fighting between the Syrian Armed Forces and the SDF on January 10, 2026 in Aleppo, Syria. A ceasefire announced yesterday has failed to hold as fighting between the Syrian army and Kurdish fighters continued in the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo. Overnight, the military announced that it had completed a security sweep in the Sheikh Maqsoud district. (Adri Salido/Getty image)
Barrack added: “President al-Sharaa has affirmed that the Kurds are an integral part of Syria, and the United States looks forward to the seamless integration of our historic partner in the fight against ISIS with the newest member of the Global Coalition as we continue the ongoing fight against terrorism.”
However, the commander of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), Sipan Hamo – a Syrian organization that is part of the SDF – said during the Saturday meeting between US envoy Tom Barrack and Kurdish officials that no road map to a ceasefire had been drawn up. He denied that Syria’s Kurds wanted to secede or create an independent state and said their future lay in Syria.
“Our greatest hope is that there will be a tangible outcome, especially from the coalition and the United States, which means that they will intervene more forcefully on the existing problems than what they are currently doing,” Hamo said.
The head of the main Kurdish forces told Reuters that the US must intervene more forcefully to end a Syrian offensive that has captured key territory from Kurdish fighters in recent days.
U.S. forces provide military training to members of the SDF in the Qamisli district of Al-Hasakah province, Syria, on August 18, 2023. (Photo by Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Government forces launched an offensive on Saturday into territory held for the past decade by semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria, capturing towns on either side of the Euphrates River and the country’s largest oil and gas field, officials and security sources said.
But given Kurdish “concerns about the changes taking place,” the US should offer them guarantees of protection.
Hamo said: “In the current situation and the chaos we live in, the only ones who can provide guarantees are the United States or the coalition,” he added in a rare interview from Hasakeh province, which remains under Kurdish control.
“We believe that the responsibility for everything that is currently happening in Syria lies with Western countries, and especially with the United States of America,” he said.
In this March 23, 2019 file photo, US-backed fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pose for a photo in Baghouz, Syria, after the SDF declared the area clear of Islamic State militants. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)
“Of course, we consider Israel to be a powerful state in the region with its own agenda. We hope that the same position of other countries in the region towards certain minorities in Syria will also be extended to the Kurds,” Hamo said.
Asked whether he was referring to Israel’s position toward the Druze minority last summer — when Israel carried out airstrikes on the Defense Ministry, near the presidential palace in Damascus and on Syrian forces advancing on Druze towns, Hamo said “of course.”
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Tom Barrack met with the Syrian president on Saturday, January 10, on behalf of the United States. (@USAMBTurkiye via X)
Civiroglu added: “I don’t think the US is abandoning the Kurds, but President Trump’s good intentions are being abused by Sharaa. Lawmakers in Washington have also raised concerns about the Syrian interim government’s treatment of minorities, which reflects broader questions about its commitment to inclusive governance.”
A group of civilians destroys a statue of a female fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the town of Tabqa after the Syrian army took control of the town, in Tabqa, Syria, January 18, 2026. (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)
Civiroglu posted on his popular
Civiroglu said: “al-Sharaa’s confrontations with Kurdish forces, following previous pressure on Alawite and Druze areas, reinforce doubts about the legitimacy of the interim government and its ability to represent Syria’s diverse population.
“The international community must remember that the Kurdish people have long fought alongside the United States, France and the West in the campaign against ISIS, and many are watching closely to see how these partners interpret the latest escalation,” he said.
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