Syria's fragile peace with Kurdish-led forces has hit an impasse as a four-day truce expired on Saturday without an extension. The Syrian government and Kurdish forces had agreed to a temporary cease-fire in hopes of finding a long-term solution to the ongoing crisis, but both sides are now facing intense pressure to move forward.
As the deadline passed at 8pm GMT, Syrian troops and SDF fighters massed near the last cluster of Kurdish-held cities in the northeast. The situation remains tense, with no official announcement from either side regarding an extension of the truce.
The Syrian government's position on extending the ceasefire appears to be uncertain, despite claims that a deal had been reached earlier this week. "There is no truth to what is being circulated regarding the extension of the deadline with the SDF," said the Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa in a statement.
Meanwhile, Kurdish authorities have shown little willingness to integrate their forces into the Syrian army, despite President Ahmed al-Sharaa's vow to bring all parts of the country under state control. The government has launched an offensive against Kurdish-held territories, with troops advancing on cities such as Hasakeh and Kobane.
The US military has been transferring hundreds of detained ISIS fighters from Syrian prisons across the border into Iraq in an effort to reduce tensions. However, experts warn that the situation remains volatile, with both sides facing significant pressure to make a move.
"It's all about one day, one hour at a time," said Al Jazeera reporter Zein Basravi. "The future of Syria is being decided incrementally." The ceasefire has become the focal point for any hope of finding a peaceful resolution, but both sides are now bracing themselves for a potentially bloody confrontation.
As the deadline passed at 8pm GMT, Syrian troops and SDF fighters massed near the last cluster of Kurdish-held cities in the northeast. The situation remains tense, with no official announcement from either side regarding an extension of the truce.
The Syrian government's position on extending the ceasefire appears to be uncertain, despite claims that a deal had been reached earlier this week. "There is no truth to what is being circulated regarding the extension of the deadline with the SDF," said the Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa in a statement.
Meanwhile, Kurdish authorities have shown little willingness to integrate their forces into the Syrian army, despite President Ahmed al-Sharaa's vow to bring all parts of the country under state control. The government has launched an offensive against Kurdish-held territories, with troops advancing on cities such as Hasakeh and Kobane.
The US military has been transferring hundreds of detained ISIS fighters from Syrian prisons across the border into Iraq in an effort to reduce tensions. However, experts warn that the situation remains volatile, with both sides facing significant pressure to make a move.
"It's all about one day, one hour at a time," said Al Jazeera reporter Zein Basravi. "The future of Syria is being decided incrementally." The ceasefire has become the focal point for any hope of finding a peaceful resolution, but both sides are now bracing themselves for a potentially bloody confrontation.
Come on, folks! The news isn't that complicated 
. So, the Syrian government and Kurdish forces had an agreement to calm things down, right? But then some "official" in the Syrian government is like, "Nah, we didn't actually agree on anything 
." Meanwhile, the Kurds are all, "Nope, we're not joining your army, thanks 
." And now everyone's standing by, waiting for... well, no one knows what to do 
. I mean, it's like they forgot to plan ahead or something 
. The US is trying to help out with some ISIS guys, but that just adds fuel to the fire 
. Someone needs to get a grip and figure out what's going on over there 
. It's all about one day at a time? Really? That's not how it works 
.
. Seriously though, with tensions running high and troops massing up, it feels like the whole region is holding its breath waiting for the other shoe to drop 
. I mean, one day they say there's a deal, the next they're launching an offensive... it's enough to make you wanna pull your hair out 
! And don't even get me started on the ISIS transfer situation - like, who needs that kind of drama in their life? 
Can't we all just get along and have a nice cuppa tea instead of fighting over borders and stuff? 
honestly I think its super worrying that syrias fragile peace is hitting an impasse... the situation remains so tense and theres still no clear solution in sight. i feel like we're being played with, both sides know thats a ceasefire is whats keeping everyone from going at it but theyre just playing hard to get 
... i wish someone could come in and say something that actually brings about change 
. think we should see more from the international community to help broker a deal, not just talk about it 
. can't help but wonder what the future holds for Syria and its people 
this truce thingy always ends up in mess... like how can u trust the syrian gov after all dey do? 
. And don't even get me started on the SDF guys - they're just sitting back and waiting for someone else to make a move, like that's gonna solve anything 
.
.
. And with both sides bracing for a confrontation... it's just not looking pretty 
. I mean, a four-day truce expired and nobody's making moves, it's like they're all just waiting to see what the other side will do next. The Syrian government is being super tight-lipped about extending the ceasefire, but the Kurds are all like "no way, we're not gonna integrate our forces into the army". It's like a big ol' game of chess, and if either side makes a wrong move, it could be catastrophic 
.