Syrian army says SDF breached ceasefire, considers military response

• Ceasefire breach: Syria’s army accused the SDF of violating a ceasefire near Ain al-Arab by launching dozens of suicide drones, injuring civilians and destroying four military vehicles.
• Tensions escalate: Damascus said it is weighing response options as attacks expanded to the M4 highway and nearby villages, amid reports of civilian injuries and displacement.

The Syrian army announced on Sunday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had violated a ceasefire agreement with the government by targeting army positions around the Ain al-Arab (Kobane) area in northern Syria, saying it is currently studying response options.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the army’s Operations Command reported injuries among civilians and the destruction of four military vehicles as a result of what it described as an escalation by the SDF and a breach of the ceasefire agreement.

Drone Attacks on Army Positions

The Operations Command said the SDF carried out attacks on Syrian army deployment sites around Ain al-Arab using more than 25 suicide drones.

The escalation resulted in the destruction of four army vehicles, the statement added.

Civilians Injured, Key Road Targeted

The SDF also targeted the international M4 highway and surrounding villages near Ain al-Arab on several occasions, leading to injuries among civilians, according to the Operations Command, which did not specify the number of casualties.

The command further accused the SDF of continuing what it called systematic arrests of residents, saying its forces besieged civilians near the village of al-Shuyoukh in an attempt to arrest their sons. This reportedly led to clashes with residents and injuries among them.

Army Weighs Response Options

The Operations Command stated that the Syrian army is currently assessing its field options in response to the targeting of civilians and army positions, stressing that it “will take the necessary measures.”

In the same context, Syria’s Ministry of Defense announced that army forces had shot down several SDF suicide drones before they could target roads and civilian homes around Ain al-Arab, according to the state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV channel.

Reports of Siege and Displacement

Al-Ikhbariya reported that SDF forces are besieging residents in Ain al-Arab and preventing them from heading toward areas controlled by the Syrian army, forcing some to flee using fishing boats.

Earlier on Sunday, the SDF targeted homes and vehicles in the town of Sarrin and nearby villages in northern Aleppo province with more than 15 suicide drones, causing material damage to civilian homes and vehicles without reported casualties, according to SANA.

Hours earlier, the Syrian Civil Defense said in a Telegram post that the SDF renewed shelling of areas in Aleppo’s countryside, striking a house with a missile launched from SDF-controlled areas in Ain al-Arab.

Ceasefire Agreement Under Strain

On Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Defense announced a ceasefire across all army operation sectors for four days, in line with announced understandings with the SDF. The ceasefire was later extended for 15 days starting Saturday evening.

On January 18, the Syrian government and the SDF signed an agreement providing for a ceasefire and the integration of the group’s members and institutions into the Syrian state. However, the government says the SDF has continued what it described as provocations and violations, calling them a “dangerous escalation.”

The agreement followed a military operation by the Syrian army that led to the recapture of large areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated alleged violations by the SDF of earlier agreements signed about 10 months ago.

Background to the Dispute

The SDF had previously withdrawn from implementing a March 2025 agreement with the Syrian government that called for respecting Kurdish rights within equal rights for all components of Syrian society and integrating civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria into state administration.

The government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been intensifying efforts to restore security and extend control over all Syrian territory since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024.