Syrian government troops thrust deeper into areas held by Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, Syrian military sources said, pressing rapid gains against Kurdish fighters who vowed to defend their remaining enclaves.
Government forces have this week taken swathes of northern and eastern Syria long held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), once the main US ally in Syria, advancing President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s effort to bring all the country under centralised authority.
The swift reversal for the SDF along one of Syria’s main faultlines marks the biggest shift in territorial control in Syria since Islamist fighters led by Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Amid reported clashes, three Syrian sources said the US-led coalition against Islamic State was negotiating for the government to take over an SDF-guarded camp housing thousands of civilians linked to the jihadist group near the town of al-Hol, close to the Iraqi border. The Syrian military said it was advancing on al-Hol.
The US military’s Central Command did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
One of the sources, a Syrian official, said talks were focused on a smooth transition to avoid any security risks or detainees fleeing.
GOVERNMENT PRESSES ADVANCE
The SDF had established control of a quarter or more of Syria during the 2011-2024 civil war, while fighting with the support of U.S. troops against Islamic State.
The Syrian military sources said government troops had advanced on Tuesday in eastern areas of Hasakah province – where al-Hol is located – and south of the town of Kobani, also known as Ain al-Arab, which lies on the border with Turkey.
A spokesperson for the Syrian Kurdish YPG, the dominant component of the SDF, said “enemy forces were trying to advance” near al-Hol camp but Kurdish forces were maintaining a defensive line in the area. The spokesperson did not respond to a question about the advances reported near Kobani.
The SDF said it had inflicted heavy losses on government forces trying to advance on the village of Tel Baroud in Hasakah. Neither side announced overall casualty figures.
Earlier on Tuesday, the SDF reported four attacks at dawn by “Damascus factions” in areas near Kobani, saying the attacks had been repelled. “Our forces … confirm their complete readiness to confront any aggression,” the SDF said in a statement.
