Evaluation

This week saw many developments surrounding the SDF and important events in Syria itself. At present, the movements of Turkish troops and the forces of the Ministry of Defence of the interim government have ceased, but this is no time to relax.

We have been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the anniversary celebrations of the fall of the regime. Large public celebrations were prohibited in the autonomous region of North-East Syria, which seemed a reasonable decision in the context of what is happening in the country: such gatherings would have been a convenient place for supporters of the Jolani regime and followers of ISIS and the SNA to carry out mass killings and provocations. Celebrating the anniversary of their triumph, the jihadists of the new Syrian army actively distributed videos with threats against SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and promises of a march on Hasakah (a city in the Jazira canton). At the moment, there are no radical changes on the front lines, and these provocations are more a reflection of the general narrative prevailing within the Jolani armed forces.

Against this backdrop, Damascus is setting new conditions for the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army. Previously, negotiations had reached a dead end, but now the interim government is proposing new rules that do not take into account the reality of the peoples of north-eastern Syria. This shows its unwillingness to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation. Autonomy remains a problem for Syria's fundamentalist government, which is aiming for a unified nation state and is prepared to eliminate dissenters. But north-eastern Syria is ready and able to defend itself, and this is stopping Jolani from military escalation, even with Turkey's support. The movements on the region's borders were an attempt to exert pressure in the negotiations and test the reaction.

The most significant news for understanding the international narrative is the bombing of three US citizens by a fighter of the new Syrian army. The US authorities claimed the suicide bomber was a former ISIS member. This time, the state's interests included good diplomatic relations with the interim government, so a Ministry of Defense soldier became ‘too radical an Islamist, who was just about to be kicked out of the military.’ We have repeatedly highlighted the hypocrisy of Western states on issues related to regions that are ‘problematic’ for the West, such as the Middle East, and this time the public once again witnessed American diplomats' outcry about ‘bloody jihadists killing our boys,’ while ignoring an important fact: the Syrian state is now ruled by these very same ‘bloody jihadists.’

Eleven thousand revolutionaries gave their lives during the Rojava Revolution. These people fell fighting for freedom, including in battles against ISIS. No country, no government talks about them as much as they talk about the three American citizens who served America's colonial project in Syria. This brings us back to the question of the value of human life: the interests of the ‘first world’ and the lives of its privileged citizens have historically been built on oppression and death within and beyond empires.

On that note, we will end our report for today. Still observing the situation, your comrades in North-East Syria.

Revolutionary greetings! 🖤

Weekly Highlights 15.12.25 - 21.12.25

US reaction to jihadist attack
Following the killing of two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, the US air-force targeted 70 ISIS-affiliated sites in Syria on december 19. The US Defense Secretary stated that the objective of the operation is to dismantle ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weaponry. Additionally, the US army andj their local partner forces conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the killing or detention of 23 Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) operatives. US fighter jets, attack helicopters, and rocket artillery engaged multiple suspected ISIS locations throughout central Syria. Instances of airstrikes and explosions were reported in the desert areas of Homs, eastern Raqqa, and western Deir ez-Zor provinces.
In addition, Donald Trump has declared on December 16 that Syria entered the expanded US travel ban list, citing concerns related to security, screening, and information sharing. As a result of this decision, Syrian citizens are prohibited from entering the United States, along with nationals from other countries and holders of travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expressed their support for the airstrikes. They referred to these actions as a crucial move to undermine ISIS efforts to reorganize and launch new attacks.

New integration proposal
The Syrian government submitted a 13-point proposal aimed at integrating the SDF. According to reports, this proposal involves reorganizing the SDF into three divisions within the Syrian army, deploying additional government forces to northeastern Syria, and placing the SDF under the authority of the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
An SDF delegation will soon be sent to travel to Damascus to discuss several outstanding issues related to military integration, including the status of YPJ units, specific SDF commanders within the MoD, and the internal security forces of the SDF.
Additionally, reports indicated that the Syrian government and SDF agreed to finalize negotiations concerning the military and security dimensions of the March 10 agreement this year. However, discussions on unresolved political issues, such as decentralization and constitutional matters, will be postponed until next year.

Potential change of Turkish position
Turkey may have softened its stance on some elements of the negociations regarding the integration of SDF in the new Syrian army after Thomas Barrack met with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan on December 16. Fidan had previously demanded that the SDF integrate into the Syrian army as individuals instead of as divisions. Following the Barrack meeting, Fidan reversed his position, stating on December 17 that Turkey would not pursue military action against the SDF and expressed optimism about the integration negotiations.
This new position comes inline with a recent declaration of Mazloum Abdi. The SDF commander declared on December 13 that “neighboring countries” are not “as hostile as before” toward the SDF and that the “SDF’s presence” is no longer an “excuse for war.”

Continuous developments:
- The United Kingdom sanctioned two Syrian army commanders and three Turkish-backed armed factions on December 19 for committing human rights abuses during the Syrian coastal massacres in early March. All of these entities are currently integrated into the Syrian army.
-Transitional Government forces launched an attack on the town of Majdal in the Suweida province countryside using drones and mortars, leading to injuries for two individuals. The Suweida National Defense Forces Command stated that it would respond decisively to any ceasefire violations and attempts to enter the region.
- Transitional Government forces have increased checkpoints and patrols around the Aleppo neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh. The passage of fuel and basic needs into the neighborhoods is not allowed anymore.

Evaluation
This week, we want to highlight an interview with Rohilat Afrin, the General Commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ). In this conversation, she comes back on the history of her structure and shares her perspectives regarding the ongoing negociation between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Transitional Government.
"Today, we [the YPJ] aren’t even fully integrated into the SDF. Of course, when there is a general interest, if this land is under attack, we will work together to serve our people. But otherwise, we have our own command, our own centers, our own institutions, and we organize and educate ourselves within them. In this way, we protect our autonomy. The ones who make decisions and institutional changes in our forces are the Women’s Command. SDF General Command can’t change this. General Mazlum might be the General Commander of the SDF, but he can’t force me to do anything. He can’t make a change in our women’s forces or send me to a different position. Who can do that? The Women’s Command. This means that we protect our autonomy and freedom. Everyone has to know this."
As underlined in this interview, the women of YPJ are engaged in their struggle for autonomy for more than a decade. It is based on this experience that they today, with a confident voice, defend a strong revolutionary stance... a voice that should not be ignored. We encourage all of you to read this interview accessible on the website of the Kurdish Peace Institute: https://www.kurdishpeace.org/

Revolutionary greetings! 🖤

Weekly Highlights 22.12.25 - 28.12.25

Fighting between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces in Aleppo City
Clashes erupted on December 22 between the Syrian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the internal security forces of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud, with both sides using heavy weaponry. Following this, government forces shelled the neighborhoods, resulting in the death of one woman and injuring at least 17 civilians. After hours of fighting, both sides reached an agreement for a ceasefire and a temporary truce. On December 24, the internal security forces of the AANES reported a new violation of the ceasefire by factions linked to the Syrian transitional government.
The SDF and the Syrian government have not yet fully implemented the April 1 agreement.
In the current period of heightened tensions, regional actors opposed to the negotiations between the SDF and the Syrian government may exploit these limited security escalations to advance their own agendas and impose new realities.

Turkish and Syrian officials met in Damascus
Senior officials from Turkey and Syria convened in Damascus on December 22, likely to discuss the SDF's reaction to the recent government integration proposal. The meeting included Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani, Defense Minister Major General Marhaf Abu Qasra, and intelligence chief Hussein Salama, alongside a Turkish delegation comprising Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.
After the meeting, Shaibani announced in a press conference with Fidan that the Syrian government is currently reviewing the SDF's response to the integration proposal. This arrangement would come with reduced command authority for the SDF and the deployment of other Syrian army units in SDF-controlled areas.

Attack on an Alawite Mosque in Homs City
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, an ISIS-aligned Salafi-jihadi group, has claimed responsibility for an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on an Alawite mosque in an Alawite neighborhood of Homs City on December 26. This attack aimed to reignite the Sunni-Alawite sectarian strife that has recently occurred in Homs. The murder of a Sunni Bedouin couple in November 2025 ignited isolated clashes in Western Homs after the killer scrawled sectarian slogans in the couple’s blood on their home’s walls. This incident underscored the fragile state of Sunni-Alawite relations in Homs.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah seeks to establish an Islamic State in Syria that excludes Alawites, Druze, Christians, Kurds, and Shia. On December 16, the group carried out a prior IED attack on an Alawite mosque in Homs, resulting in at least eight deaths and 21 injuries. Following this, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed that the latest attack was conducted "in cooperation" with an undisclosed Salafi-jihadi group. The group had previously threatened a “major” attack on December 16. In their December 26 communications regarding the latest attack, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah exaggerated the casualty figures, denied any intention to target Sunnis, and expressed a commitment to escalate attacks against minorities to incite fear.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) strongly condemned the bombing on Friday, describing the attack as a grave crime against civilians and social peace.

Continuous developments:
- An Israeli official stated, “The Israeli support for the Druze in southern Syria is carefully calculated, and Israel has no interest in establishing a Druze state there.” The official added that “arms shipments were sent to help the Druze when it was necessary,” stressing that Israel remains “committed to the security of minorities” but does not intend to deploy special forces alongside Druze groups or engage in organizing proxy militias.
- Jordanian authorities announced that the Jordanian Armed Forces are confronting groups involved in smuggling weapons and drugs along the country’s northern border with Syria.

- A video circulated on social media on Wednesday showing students at a secondary school in the western Daraa countryside undergoing weapons training, which has sparked widespread concern among activists and educators, reigniting debate over the militarization of educational institutions in southern Syria.

Evaluations

We’ve arrived to the last week of 2025. During last several months there have been tensions in the media, connected to the deadline of the March agreements. But as the deadline nears, the clearer it becomes that escalation of the armed conflict is not in Damascus’ interests right now. Negotiations continue and according to the plan the decision on SDF integration as an autonomous force is to be taken before January 2026. Further political steps between NES and Damascus won’t be rushed.

Whatever the diplomatic developments, the reality is still far from the coexistence of self-governed autonomy and the state, suggested by the Kurdish liberation movement. Yet again this week, Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo were attacked. Clashes between interim government forces and Kurdish self-defense units in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods take place regularly, and this time the attacks coincided with a Turkish delegation visit in Damascus. The Jolani government consistently uses armed attacks as pressure for diplomatic talks: we already saw that when the new proposal for SDF integration was made and the tensions on borders with the NES that followed.

Northeast Syria is one of key elements in talks between Jolani and Turkey. Realizing that his diplomacy with the Western hegemonic states won’t benefit from the escalation of armed conflict with the SDF, he doesn’t risk starting war without gaining the support of strong allies. For example, Turkey.

We want to conclude our final evaluation in 2025 on a positive note. Revolution in conditions of permanent war is really hard. But we have to remember what has been achieved even in such harsh conditions. People realizing their place in the world, in history, women realizing their own importance and possibilities, understanding how systems of oppression work, realizing themselves as actors who can change the world around them. In the midst of constant war and everyday struggle for existence in difficult economic and ecologic conditions, people managed to grow political self-determination and build a strong society. Communes, victories of women’s liberation, education, people’s self-defense — only a part of all the achievements of these 13 years. We are happy to be part of that process.

And we still stay on the ground and follow the events. In the situation of absolute instability, the only thing to rely on might be that very instability. We continue to analyze the developments and keep you updated.

Revolutionary frosty greetings from snow-covered NE Syria! 🖤

Weekly Highlights 29.12.25 - 04.01.26

📌 Clashes during Alawite civilian protests
On December 28, anti-government Alawite fighters launched attacks on government security forces in coastal Syria during an Alawite demonstration. The protest was organized as a response to an attack by the Salafi-jihadi group Saraya Ansar al Sunnah on an Alawite mosque in Homs City. The demonstration demanded federal governance, enhanced state protection for Alawites, an end to sectarian violence, and the release of former detainees arrested after the Assad regime's collapse in December 2024. The situation escalated when pro-government counter-protestors and government forces intervened. Amid the chaos, anti-government Alawite fighters, hidden among the protesters, opened fire and threw grenades on General Security Service (GSS) forces resulting in one dead and two wounded in the ranks of the GSS. In response, the Syrian Ministry of Defense (MoD) deployed armored units and military police to Latakia and Tartous.
The attackers may have been Alawite insurgents deliberately attempting to provoke a government response. Militants from both the Men of Light (Saraya al Jawad, an Assadist insurgent group) and the Coastal Shield Brigade (which also has significant ties to the Assad regime) attacked security forces during civilian protests in Latakia City.
The presence of Assadist slogans at the demonstrations, along with the nature of the attacks, suggests a degree of support among some protesters for these Alawite insurgent factions and could indicate a nascent support for an insurgent movement aligned with Assadist ideals. The immediate threat posed of these Assadist groups to the Syrian government is currently low, given their limited scale, effectiveness, and organizational structure. However, if given the necessary time and space to recruit and organize, these networks could expand significantly.

📌 Abdullah Ocalan statement on the March 10 agreement
In a statement released on December 30, Abdullah Öcalan claimed that the agreement aims to establish a “democratic political model.” He emphasized that this model would facilitate “democratic integration” into the “central structure,” referring to the SDF's potential integration within the broader Syrian state.
An Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) official interpreted the term “democratic integration” to mean the continuation of the current “administrative and cognitive situation” in northern and eastern Syria. This interpretation aligns with the vision of a federalized Syria defended by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

📌 Meeting between AANES and Syrian government representatives
Mazloum Abdi was expected to travel to Damascus on December 29 to discuss or finalize this military integration agreement; however, his visit was postponed due to “logistical and technical arrangements.” The postponement of Mazloum Abdi's visit coincides with clashes that erupted in Aleppo between the Asayish and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) forces. In a statement, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), emphasized on December 31 that implementing the March 10 Agreement with the Syrian government is a “political priority,” advocating for the drafting of a new constitution that incorporates federalism, a demand the SDF has consistently maintained since the agreement's signing.
The AANES negotiating team spokerperson indicated on December 30 that AANES and representatives from the Syrian government may meet in the next two weeks to discuss the integration of SDF into the Syrian state.


🔵 Continuous developments:
- On December 24 and 25, the Jordanian military carried out airstrikes targeting Captagon production sites, arms caches, and smuggler positions in Suweida Province. The Jordanian military also struck seven sites belonging to the Suweida National Guard’s control. The Suweida National Guard denied that Jordanian airstrikes hit its facilities and accused Bedouins of conducting the cross-border Captagon smuggling.

- On December 30, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that US and partner forces have killed at least seven ISIS fighters and captured about 18 others during operations in Syria between December 20 and 29.
- On December 31, Syrian security forces prevented a suicide vest attack that sought to target New Year’s celebrations in Aleppo City. The attacker likely intended to target the nearby Armenian Church of Forty Martyrs.

💬 Evaluations

This week we will touch upon the broader context, since nothing happens in a vacuum. As the global events influence the local situations, revolutionary shifts don’t happen without leaving a trace and influence on the people and the world. That is also why we are here, doing what we are doing.

This time we want to talk about events in Iran. Iran is an important actor in the geopolitics of the Middle East. Its influence also had a strong impact on Syria during the Assad rule. Smuggling and other transportation routes were passing through Syria, supplying Hezbollah. After the fall of the Assad regime, Iran was pushed out of Syria and has generally lost its previous power in the region. The damage sustained during the Israeli attacks in June 2025 became another factor that affected the situation of Islamic Republic.

Protests have been regularly flaring up in Iran. The 2022 protests under leading slogan «Woman, Life, Freedom» are famous globally. Just like back then, the protests spread all over the country. People’s discontent spread due to economic factors — inflation, growing prices and poverty, but eventually arrived at calling to take down the regime. Protesters clash with the police in the streets, there are killed and injured.

During Israel-Iran escalation in 2025, an interesting detail to notice were the statements of Netanyahu and Trump on the intentional destabilization of Iran with the goal of regime change. It is a pretty standard approach of the USA towards “inconvenient” governments in the regions of their interests: clearing the path for more co-operative politicians, as it was in Afghanistan. During the most recent escalation of Israel-Iran war there were rumors spreading that there already exists a tentative “democratic” ruling figure, backed and prepared by the USA. Although this information wasn’t confirmed, we can well imagine that it can be true, considering USA methods in other instances (e.g. the recent kidnapping of the Venezuelan president). In this context, Trump’s declared intention to come to the aid of Iranian protesters if Iran will “cruelly kill peaceful demonstrators, as they do,” becomes more understandable.

Iranian Kurdistan, Rojhilat, is one of Iran’s rebellious regions. Their attempts to declare autonomy have not been successful for decades, but the guerrilla struggle in the territory of Iran continues. PJAK (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan) supported the protesters and again condemned the current regime.

Kurdish liberation movement is fighting for freedom not only in Syria or Turkey. News from Rojhilat take the headlines somewhat less frequently, but the situation in Iran is especially hard for the liberation struggle. PJAK forces include a female armed wing, which is especially important in the context if a dictatorship which executes “moral policing” over the population and, as usual, harms the most vulnerable groups, including women.

Instability in Tehran could be a beneficial circumstance for the Kurdish region and could weaken imperialist alliances of the Russia — Iran — China axis. Nevertheless, a puppet government installed by the USA, Israel or whoever else won’t address the Kurdish question in Iran. Furthermore, addressing the Kurdish question in a neoliberal imperialist framework can’t be a true solution for a multi-ethnic and multi-religious Middle East. Democratic confederalism, already being implemented in NES by PYD and advocated by PJAK in Rojhilat, offers a much more promising option to bring peace.

❗ Due to ongoing resistance against brutal attack on Kurdish neighborhoods Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo, we will start posting more frequently outside of our usual weekly format and share perspectives from on the ground as much as possible.

Long live resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah!

List of the main acronyms for those in the chat who've joined recently:

HTS: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, that now hold the Interim Government

SDF: Syrian Democratic Forces, military coalition of defense forces in NES

SNA: Syrian National Army, Islamist Turkish proxy forces

FSA: Free Syrian Army, old name that was used as an umbrella for opposition groups against Assad

SSG: Syrian Salvation Government, political front of HTS

SIG: Syrian Interim Government: political front of SNA and Turkey. Also known as STG, Syrian Transitional Government

MoD: Ministry of Defense of the Damascus government

DAANES: Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, political body in cooperation with SDF

IOF: Israeli Occupation Forces

KRG: Kurdish Regional government of north Iraq

KDP/PDK: Kurdish Democratic Party, governing party in KRG, linked to Barzani clan.

YNK/PUK: Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, opposition party in KRG, linked to Talabani clan

PYD: Partiya Yekitiya Democratic - Democratic Union Party, leading political party of DAANES

ENKS: Kurdish national union party, a party in Rojava that is closely connected to KRG and Turkey

KNK: Kurdistan National Congress, a political coalition and organization of parties and civil society from Kurdistan and Kurdish diaspora

FM: Foreign Minister

Aleppo is home to over half a million Kurdish people. The neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah, self-organized in communes and councils, are in grave danger.

These neighborhoods lived through and defended self from blockade, military attacks and harassment by Assad regime before and after Syrian revolution. Today they are under brutal attack by Turkish-backed militias integrated into ministry of defense of Damascus government. In 2025 these same armed factions massacred Alawites in Latakia, then Druze in Suweida, and now they are set to commit ethnic cleansing and massacre in Aleppo.

Councils of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah decided to not leave the besieged neighborhoods and chose defense. Internal Security Forces (Asayish) are putting up resistance to the attacks in an unequal battle.

Stay tuned for detailed update and analysis tomorrow on Sunday. We invite you to be careful about disinformation present in the media spreading talking points of the Turkish and other governmental narratives.

Statement of Kurdistan National Congress on the attacks

✊ General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods calling for general mobilization and people to defend the neighborhoods, and rejecting to surrender to the mercenaries. [9th of January 2026]

In response to the decision of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah Council, hundreds of people from all over northeast Syria organized civilian convoys and set out to reach Aleppo and support the resisting neighborhoods.

🔊Online-Call Aleppo🔊

Turkish backed islamist gangs declared war on the self-administrated Kurdish neighbourhoods of Aleppo. Once again the revolution of Rojava is under attack. Instead of surrender, the people's council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya decided to stay and choose the path of total resistance. People from all parts of Rojava are right now on their way to Aleppo to join the resistance. We want to inform about the current situation and discuss how we can get active. We are one in our struggle for women's liberation and a democratic society!

Share the invitation with all your friends and comrades and join the call!

📆 Sunday, 11.01. - 18:30 CET

https://meet.livingutopia.org/rooms/jzq-jhy-xka-fyr/join

Weekly Highlights 04.01.26 - 11.01.26 [Content Warning: denoscriptions of war violence]

📌 Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh resistance against Damascus attacks in Aleppo
After constant pressure, blockade and low-intensity attacks from regime forces on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh during 2025, last two months saw these attacks escalate. Intense attacks on the two neighborhoods began since the end of December and became especially heavy in the first days of January. Since January 6th a major offensive took place, involving thousands of combatants from different brigades, most of them affiliated with the Turkish state; tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, various types of heavy weapons and munitions including gas bombs, as well as support by Turkish drones.
Internal Security Forces (Asayish) organized defense and led the resistance of the neighborhoods. After its initial attacks, the Damascus forces pushed for full displacement of the neighborhood. The General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods refused to surrender and leave Aleppo, chose the resistance and called for general mobilization. As a response to that decision, a civilian convoy from most cities of NE Syria came together and headed towards Aleppo, aiming to support the resistance.
The number of people who gave their lives in fighting, were injured or are missing is currently unknown. There are reports, messages and videos of fierce resistance and organized self-defense of the neighborhoods, where defenders of the neighborhoods are explaining the situation on the ground, singing, fighting and dancing. At the same time there are many evidences of hundreds of Kurdish people being kidnapped, footages of executions and tortures, mutilations of bodies of fallen female and male Kurdish fighters.
The fighting culminated towards January 9th and 10th, when civilians went to the Khalid Al-Fajr Hospital to help treating the wounded and take refuge. Turkish-backed groups shelled and attacked the hospital dozens of times.
On January 11th a partial ceasefire was reached in order to evacuate the wounded, civilians, children and women, as well as bodies of fallen defenders of the neighborhoods. The general mobilization brought protesters to the streets of Bashur and Bakur (Southern and Northern Kurdistan), European cities and across the northeast Syria. In Turkey and Northern Kurdistan clashes with the police took place.

📌 EU promise 620 millions for Syria
According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union is set to provide Syria with 620 million euros this year and next, aimed at post-war recovery, bilateral support, and humanitarian assistance.
During her visit to Damascus on friday 9, she noted, "After years of devastation under the Assad regime, Syria's recovery and reconstruction needs are immense." Von der Leyen expressed the EU's intention to initiate discussions on renewing a cooperation agreement with Syria and to establish a new political partnership. Last year, the EU lifted economic sanctions on Syria following the fall of Assad.
Von der Leyen also highlighted the recent clashes in Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters, calling it "worrisome" and emphasizing the urgent need for continued dialogue among all parties involved.

📌 Israel-Syria intelligence agreements
Following US-mediated discussions in Paris, on January 6, Israel and Syria agreed to establish a US-supervised "fusion mechanism" for intelligence coordination. The United States, Israel, and Syria would create a joint "fusion mechanism" to oversee intelligence sharing, border de-escalation, diplomacy, and commercial matters.
No timeline has been provided for the implementation of the mechanism.
A senior US official stated that this mechanism will facilitate further demilitarization discussions, and outline the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area. He also added that the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) and the Syrian military will stop all military activities in southern Syria until the details of the "fusion mechanism" are finalized.

Additionally, the US delegation in Paris proposed the creation of a "demilitarized economic zone" along both sides of the Israel-Syria border. Israeli negotiators have previously pushed for a larger demilitarized zone spanning four Syrian provinces, extending to Damascus, without requiring Israeli demilitarization on the border.

🔵 Continuous developments
- Following a military incursion and the establishment of a temporary checkpoint, Israeli forces arrested on Thursday four young men in the northern countryside of Quneitra, southern Syria.
- The General Command of the Suweida National Defense Forces reported that Transitional Government forces shelled the city's of Mansoura, killing One fighter from the National Defense Forces. Additionally, it highlighted another incident, where an opposition group attempted to breach a military post. The National Defense Forces successfully repelled this attempt.
- US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday that it had carried out several airstrikes in Syria targeting the Islamic State (ISIS), as part of the military operation launched by the U.S. in December 2025 in response to an attack on American personnel. Jordan stated on Sunday its participation in the air strikes.

💬 Evaluation

The end of the year 2025 was marked by anticipation of development in the dialogue between SDF and Damascus government. Despite widespread skepticism, the narrative of Syrian civil war reaching its end has gradually become accepted in the international community. However, many living in Syria know that nothing could be further from truth. Massacres of Alawites and Druze by Damascus government have shown that the original problems which brought Syria to this point are not resolved. Now, the transitional government's assault on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh has pushed Syria a step further down the war.

Main political and military forces of Damascus government in their base are not opposed to war as a method to establish centralized government for the whole of Syria, including atrocities and massacres. Such methods are seen as justifiable within the Salafist vision of the country. On the other hand, political developments of the new Syrian government is hardly compatible with the views of military forces of HTS and other groups that brought about the government of Ahmed Al-Shara'a. Diplomacy and deals with United States, European union and Russia; intelligence agreements with Israel, Abraham accords and surrender of Golan heights to Israel; crackdown on some foreign brigades within the new army. All of these affects how other forces engage with Ahmed Al-Shara'a and his presidency: he is gaining influence from Western powers but losing popularity in the Islamists ranks that lifted him up.

With that in mind, we can analyze that the current consolidation of political and military power of Damascus is directly linked to Turkey. The brutal attack on the Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo is not a step that the transitional government could or would even decide to do independently without long-term Turkish pressure and assistance. The agenda of the transitional government, its militias and the Turkish state align under leadership of Turkey, this time on the question of integration: they do not accept a federalized, decentralized and multi-confessional Syria, where political dialogue could become the new approach to contradictions and women liberation together with co-existence of diverse communities would constitute a major social revolution. Such a development would ultimately undermine the centralized power and the influence of main hegemonic actors present in the region. Without war and chaos, Turkey, United States, Russia, Israel and other states cannot sustain their existence and economies.

That is why the Syrian state massacres Kurdish people and calls the ethnic cleansing and destruction of the neighborhoods "limited security operation". That is why the Islamist groups that massacred Alawites and Druze months ago, are attacking the Kurdish neighborhoods today, while all the states watched and didn't intervene. That is also why DAANES holds Turkey accountable for the attacks.

We would like to conclude this evaluation with words of Aldar Xelil, member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD):

Mercenaries backed by regional and international powers, foremost among them Turkey, a NATO member, claim to have achieved a “victory” in the name of what they call the “Syrian State,” this claim is nothing but an illusion devoid of any moral or realistic value.

A regime that ruled Syria for decades collapsed in eight days due to the absence of the will to resist, while the two small neighborhoods of Al-Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud resisted for six days and continue to resist relentlessly, despite being besieged from four sides since the fall of the regime. This alone proves that any so-called “victory” over such will is nothing but self-mockery.

This people has faced multiple forces, supporting states, and various types of weapons, alongside massive Turkish support through drones, yet it has not surrendered. Its free will is immortal, renewing itself across time and place, affirming that resistance is not a temporary event but a continuous path toward freedom.

Revolutionary greetings!

Highlights 13.01.26

Deir Hafir
Today the Syrian transitional government (SGT) declared the areas of Deir Hafir, Babiri and Kavas as zones of military operations. The same declaration was made about Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo before STG invaded.

STG forces were moved to the region, including military vehicles, tanks and weapons. STG is shelling the town of Deir Hafir and its vicinity intensly. Also fighters of STG exploded the bridge to the north from the town and shelled civil homes in nearby villages.

Tishrin
STG carried out artillery strikes on the Tishreen dam as well. There are reports of drones targeting infrastructure of the dam.

Raqqa
Internal Security Forces of the Raqqa region declared curfew from 22:00 till 06:00 to mitigate escalation of the situation inside the city and the surrounding areas.

NES
In the whole northeast Syria the 13th of January was declared the day of mourning and rememberance due to events in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh. Farewell ceremony for the commander of Internal Security Forces (Asayish) Ziyad Heleb who fell in battle took place in Kobane. Meanwhile, small-scale attacks from STG with Turkish support are happening at various points along the borders of DAANES.

Statements
KCK — «Attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh as well as preparations for assault to the east from Euphrates are putting in question the ceasefire between our movement and Turkey and the ongoing process for Peace and Democratic society.»

SDF — on the claims of STG about activities in border areas of their territories: «Repetition of these claims by the Ministry of Defense is yet another attempt to create tensions and fabricate excuses for escalation. We lay full responsibility for all possible consequences on those who are behind these actions.»