Syria-SDF ceasefire hangs in balance after renewed clashes, faltering talks

Tensions betwixt the Syrian authorities and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) person been escalating, days aft they announced a ceasefire, which is being severely tested by renewed fighting, involving the withdrawal of the latter’s forces from areas westbound of the Euphrates River.

Talks successful Damascus betwixt Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF person Mazloum Abdi, besides known arsenic Mazloum Kobani, person faltered, with the second returning to the northeast.

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Contention and a blasted crippled person surrounded the issues of ISIL (ISIS) prisoners who escaped from al-Shaddadi situation during the warring betwixt the service and the SDF. Syria’s Ministry of Interior said connected Tuesday that 130 of 200 ISIL escapees had been recaptured.

The ministry accused the SDF of releasing ISIL fighters from the situation successful the northeastern metropolis of al-Shaddadi arsenic a signifier of “political and information blackmail”. The service said it deliberately bypassed al‑Shaddadi situation successful enactment with an statement that the SDF would aboriginal manus power of the installation to authorities successful Damascus.

The SDF has blamed the Syrian service for the situation break, saying it “lost control” of the jailhouse aft an onslaught by tribal fighters affiliated with the army.

SDF commandant Fawza Youssef connected Tuesday blamed the al-Sharaa authorities for failing to uphold the deal.

“There is nary governmental volition connected the portion of the authorities to instrumentality a ceasefire,” helium told Al Jazeera. “If the violations and attacks continue, the SDF cannot beryllium disarmed.”

The agreement reached connected Sunday betwixt al-Sharaa and Abdi stipulates the withdrawal of the SDF from Raqqa and Deir Az Zor, parts of which are eastbound of the Euphrates, wrong a month.

A spokesperson for Syria’s Interior Ministry claimed the SDF was “trying to deflect blame” arsenic it faced interior divisions.

“We similar peaceful solutions, but each options are open,” the spokesperson told Al Jazeera.

The woody included the SDF’s withdrawal from the country astir the al-Aqtan prison. As it appeared connected the verge of collapse, Al Jazeera correspondents connected Tuesday reported that the Syrian service had begun artillery shelling astir the situation and the SDF’s 17th Division office successful Raqqa.

Local sources successful Hasakah state successful the northeast of the state said the service reached the Panorama intersection, located astatine the confederate entranceway to the city.

The Interior Ministry confirmed its readiness to instrumentality implicit the absorption and information of ISIL prisons successful Hasakah successful accordance with planetary standards.

Information Minister Hamza Mustafa said the service secured the metropolis of al-Shaddadi successful the Hasakah countryside aft taking power of the situation located there.

Taking power of ISIL prisons

The SDF, the United States-backed unit that fought ISIL successful Syria, controls much than a twelve prisons successful the northeast, wherever immoderate 9,000 ISIL members person been held for years without trial.

While al-Sharaa’s authorities has pledged to reunify Syria aft astir 14 years of ruinous civilian war, the SDF has repeatedly underlined al-Sharaa’s erstwhile affiliation with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly a portion of al-Qaeda.

In a connection connected Monday, the SDF referred to the authorities arsenic “ISIS sympathizers, whose actions are directed and orchestrated by the Turkish state”, and pledged to respond successful a akin mode to the battle to seizure Kobane successful 2014.

“Today we reaffirm that the volition of the radical is stronger than each forms of aggression and occupation,” the connection said.

The Syrian authorities responded to the statement, rejecting “any effort to usage the contented of coercion arsenic a instrumentality for governmental oregon information blackmail”.

“The insistence connected linking the actions of instrumentality enforcement and the restoration of authorities legitimacy with the information of activating violent cells constitutes a blatant effort to distort the facts and substance the struggle successful bid to support an authorization that was imposed by unit of arms,” it said successful a statement.

“The Syrian authorities warns the SDF enactment against taking immoderate reckless steps that would facilitate the flight of ISIS detainees oregon unfastened prisons for them arsenic a retaliatory measurement oregon arsenic a governmental unit tactic.”

Al-Sharaa’s connection to Abdi

Five hours of talks betwixt al-Sharaa and Abdi connected Monday aimed astatine salvaging the ceasefire woody ended without agreement, sources told Al Jazeera.

The president offered to name Abdi to the station of lawman defence curate and nominate him to beryllium politician of Hasakah successful speech for the deployment of Syrian interior information forces to the city.

The connection besides included the removal of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members from the territory. Turkiye sees the SDF arsenic the Syrian subdivision of the PKK, an organisation that it has been astatine warfare with since 1984 and that it considers a “terrorist” group.

Abdi asked for 5 days for consultations, a petition al-Sharaa rejected. The president gave the SDF person until the extremity of Tuesday to judge the offer, informing that nonaccomplishment to bash truthful would trigger subject enactment and the illness of the ceasefire deal.

Al-Sharaa connected Monday held a telephone telephone with US President Donald Trump, successful which the 2 stressed the value of preserving Syria’s territorial unity and independency and underlined the request to warrant the rights and extortion of the Kurdish people.