Shaddadi, Syria. Syrian government troops tightened their grip across northern and eastern territory after Kurdish-led forces withdrew under a ceasefire agreement. The Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces traded conflicting accounts over an Islamic State prison escape in the eastern city of Shaddadi.
Territorial shift after SDF withdrawals
The withdrawals by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), previously the main U.S. ally in Syria, were described as the biggest change in Syria’s control map since Islamist fighters led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
After days of fighting with government forces, the SDF agreed on Sunday to withdraw from both Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, two Arab-majority provinces it had controlled for years and the location of Syria’s main oil fields. The shift consolidated Sharaa’s position after months of deadlock in talks over government demands that SDF forces merge fully with Damascus.
Dispute over Shaddadi prison escape
A day after the SDF agreed to quit large parts of Syria under the ceasefire, the Syrian army said “a number of” Islamic State militants had escaped a prison that had been under SDF control in Shaddadi.
The SDF said it lost control of the prison following an attack by government fighters. The Syrian army denied attacking the jail and said its forces would work to secure the prison and re-arrest the escapees, accusing the SDF of releasing them.
The SDF said the Shaddadi prison had held thousands of militants, while the army did not say how many Islamic State detainees had fled.
Turkey and U.S. roles
Turkey welcomed the deal signed by its ally Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged swift implementation of the agreement requiring the full integration of Kurdish fighters into Syria’s armed forces.
The SDF, spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, established control of a quarter or more of Syria during the 2011-2024 civil war while fighting Islamic State with support from U.S. troops. The United States, which has since established close ties with Sharaa under President Donald Trump, has been closely involved in mediation between the sides.
SDF statement on attacks in Hasakah region
The SDF media office said the Shaddadi prison, one of three under its control in the Hasakah region, came under repeated attack by “Damascus factions”, and that dozens of SDF fighters were killed or wounded defending it.
What do you think the SDF withdrawal will mean for security and control in northern and eastern Syria?
