Syrian Democratic Forces

Syria appoints key Kurdish commander Sipan Hemo as deputy defense minister

As a deputy, Sipan Hemo will focus on an area in eastern Syria.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Sipan Hemo, the new deputy to the Syrian defense minister. August 14, 2025.
Fighters from the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, are pictured near the border with Iran in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, in the outskirts of Sulaimaniya, Iraq, June 21, 2025.

Kurdish militias face high-stakes gamble in potential US alliance against Tehran - interview

Beyond what many see as a recent betrayal, the reality for Kurds in the Islamic regime will likely only worsen if the US and Israel fail to secure regime change.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Members of the military police stand near a bus carrying released detainees during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian government and Druze factions, in Sweida, Syria, February 26, 2026.

US efforts helped pave way for Syria-Druze deal, source tells 'Post'

Months of US diplomacy paved the way for a historic detainee swap between Damascus and the Druze of Sweida, marking a breakthrough in Syrian peace efforts.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian army increases security measures in and around al-Hol camp, located south of Al-Hasakah, where families of Daesh members, most of them women and children, are being held, in Syria, on January 25, 2026.

Syria blames SDF withdrawal for chaos and escapes at al-Hol camp

The camp, located near the Iraqi border, had long housed relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) members alongside civilians displaced by years of conflict.

|ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF

Damascus reaches out to rival Kurdish factions amid eastern Syria transition - analysis

The changes on the ground are part of a January 30 deal between the Syrian Transitional Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

FEBRUARY 4, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian Public Security Forces drive through a crowd as they enter the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 3, 2026, under an integration deal with Kurdish authorities.

Damascus courts Kurdish trust with arrests, Kurds say Sharaa must acknowledge Rojava atrocities

While reports indicate a member of the Syrian Arab Army was arrested for butchering the braid off a murdered female SDF fighter, Kurds say they are still waiting for the violence to be acknowledged

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Members of the Kurdish forces stand guard as Syrian government internal security forces enter the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on February 2, 2026.

Violent Islamism in plain sight spills over in Syria - opinion

As Sharaa continues to disempower the SDF, thousands of ISIS extremists and fighters are poised to spill over into the heartland of Syrian minorities.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByQANTA AHMED
Residents cheer as Syrian government internal security forces enter the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on February 2, 2026.

Syrian government forces enter SDF held Hasakah after ceasefire deal

Syrian Interior Ministry forces entered Hasakah on Monday under a deal with the US-backed SDF, marking a key test of coordination after weeks of clashes.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian Interior Ministry security forces vehicles prepare to enter the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria, following an agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces reached on January 30, in Al-hasakah, Syria, February 2, 2026.

Why Washington shifts from Syria’s Kurds to Sharaa - opinion

Trump’s military and political backing for the SDF as the central anti‑ISIS instrument has now evolved to a policy where they are a problem that needs solving.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByNEVILLE TELLER
US President Donald Trump meets Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in the White House, Washington, DC, November 10, 2025

Senators seek assurance with Save the Kurds Act as Sharaa regime, SDF agree to integration deal

The Save the Kurds Act calls for snapback sanctions if the Syrian regime recommences attacks on Kurds and demands that HTS be redesignated as a terrorist organization

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Syrian Kurds demonstrate to demand their rights in the Syrian constitution and in support of Kurdish unity, in Qamishli, Syria February 1, 2026.

US special envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya no longer in the post, sources say

The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Washington's push to curb Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByREUTERS
A Shiite Muslim cleric collects forms filled out by men signing up to join the "martyrdom brigades" under the umbrella of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades, volunteering to serve in the event of war with the US and Israel on January 29, 2026.

Syrian government announce integration deal with Kurdish forces

The sides announced the deal after Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF this month.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByREUTERS
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByASHER SMITH
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

Kurdish women turn braids into symbol of resistance after Syria atrocities - explainer

Across global demonstrations and in thousands of videos posted online, Kurdish women and their allies have begun braiding their hair in honor of a female Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces fighter.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
DEMONSTRATORS HOLD a placard featuring a braided hair as a symbolic act of resistance and solidarity with Kurdish women in Syria, during a protest supporting Syrian Kurds after recent clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2026.