Syrians greet extended army-SDF ceasefire with guarded optimism

Al JazeeraCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 25, 2026 at 11:19 AM

AI Summary

medium article 4 min

Syrians in the northeast are greeting a 15-day extension of the ceasefire between the Syrian military and the Kurdish-led SDF with cautious optimism. The extension, announced by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, comes as government troops advance on remaining SDF strongholds, consolidating al-Sharaa's rule. The ceasefire offers a break from recent fighting that has disrupted Syria's recovery from a 14-year civil war. The government aims to use this time to establish a long-term ceasefire and focus on reconstruction, while the SDF is expected to develop a plan for integration with the army. The extension also supports a US operation to transfer ISIL detainees from Syria to Iraq.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Iraq 40% United States 40% Ahmed al-Sharaa ×250% Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ×260% Raqqa ×360% Syrian Government ×270% Syria ×680% Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ×890%

Keywords

ceasefire 100% syria 90% syrian democratic forces (sdf) 80% military operations 70% internal stability 60% isil (isis) detainees 50% reconstruction efforts 50% raqqa 40% government troops 40%