BBC Arabic reported that the Syrian government announced on Saturday evening that it was extending the ceasefire agreement with Kurdish forces by 15 days to allow for the completion of the US operation to transfer prisoners of the so-called Islamic State to Iraq.
Ceasefire between government and SDF extended
Several sources had previously confirmed that the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had agreed to extend the agreement, according to Agence France-Presse, at a time when the United States is transferring prisoners from the organization.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense said in a statement, “We announce the extension of the ceasefire in all sectors of the Syrian Arab Army’s operations for a period of 15 days, starting at 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT)”.
She confirmed that this comes “in support of the American operation to evacuate ISIS prisoners from SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) prisons to Iraq”.
Agreement on Integration
A ceasefire has been in effect for several days as part of a broader agreement between the government and the Kurds. This agreement stipulates the continuation of discussions regarding the future integration of Kurdish institutions in Hasakah province into government institutions, following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from large areas in the north and east of the country. This withdrawal came amidst clashes between the SDF and Syrian government forces, which had deployed in these areas.
Several sources who spoke to AFP earlier on Saturday predicted that the ceasefire agreement would be extended for a period that could reach a month.
A Syrian government source explained that “the completion of the transfer of ISIS detainees is one of the reasons behind the extension”.
A Kurdish source familiar with the negotiations stated that the ceasefire deadline will be extended “until a political solution is reached that satisfies both parties”.
