Ceasefire between Syria and SDF group teeters on brink of collapse

Syria’s Government and Kurdish-Led Forces Trade Accusations Over Violence and Prison Breaks

Negotiations between Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, have reached a dead end. The SDF has withdrawn its forces from areas west of the Euphrates River, sparking renewed fighting. The Syrian government has accused the SDF of releasing ISIL fighters from al-Shaddadi prison during the conflict.

According to the Ministry of Interior, 130 of 200 ISIL escapees have been recaptured. The ministry claims that the SDF released the prisoners as a form of “political and security blackmail”. In response, the SDF has blamed the Syrian government for failing to uphold an agreement to hand control of al-Shaddadi prison to authorities in Damascus.

The agreement reached between al-Sharaa and Abdi stipulates the withdrawal of the SDF from Raqqa and Deir Az Zor within a month. The deal also includes the SDF’s withdrawal from the area around the al-Aqtan prison. However, local sources report that the Syrian army has begun artillery shelling around the prison and the SDF’s 17th Division headquarters in Raqqa.

The SDF controls more than a dozen prisons in the northeast, where some 9,000 ISIL members have been held for years without trial. The Syrian government has pledged to reunify Syria after nearly 14 years of civil war, while the SDF has repeatedly criticized al-Sharaa’s previous affiliation with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The situation remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement and failing to uphold their commitments. The Syrian government has rejected any attempt to use the issue of terrorism as a tool for political or security blackmail, while the SDF has pledged to respond in a similar manner to the battle to capture Kobane in 2014.

The conflict between Syria’s government and the Kurdish-led forces continues to escalate, with both sides trading accusations over violence and prison breaks. The situation remains volatile, with no clear resolution in sight.

Source: Al Jazeera