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Syria: Four-day truce with SDF begins amid US backing

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Steven Gislam
January 21, 2026

Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces have entered a new four-day ceasefire.The truce follows clashes earlier this month in the SDF-held northeast and stalled talks over the Kurdish role in post-war Syria.

Clashes earlier this month in Syria's northeast led to the escape of more than 100 Islamic State militants from a Kurdish-run prison, with Damascus and the SDF trading blame.

While the US has long partnered with Kurdish forces against IS, Trump's backing of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa signals a shift back toward the central government.

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