13 points timeline: The fighting between the Syrian government and the SDF

1. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters led by Kurdish commanders affiliated with the PKK—took control of northeastern Syria with the support of the U.S.-led international coalition after defeating ISIS and capturing its capital, Raqqa, in 2017. They later expanded into southeastern Aleppo, taking advantage of the Syrian revolution’s overthrow of Assad’s regime in 2025.

2. Within this region, the SDF controlled prisons holding ISIS members and the notorious al-Hol camp, which housed families of ISIS fighters until recent events.

3. The USA government and military command encouraged SDF to merge with the Syrian Assad army many times, but negotiations between the two sides (Assad & sdf) failed.

4. On March 10, 2025, interim president Ahmad al-Shar’a and the SDF commander signed an agreement to integrate SDF forces into the new Syrian army, following al-Shar’a’s successful ousting of Assad on December 8, 2024 and Americans pressure 9n SDF to integrate with the new government.

5. On April 1, 2025, an agreement was reached for SDF forces to withdraw from two neighborhoods in Aleppo (predominantly Kurdish), while maintaining security forces (Asayish) to coordinate with government security personnel inside those neighborhoods.

6. The March 10 agreement expired at the end of 2025 without any tangible implementation on the ground—except for generally preventing military clashes.

7. The April agreement collapsed, and clashes erupted between the two sides on January 8, 2026, leading to the withdrawal of SDF’s Asayish forces from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo toward the eastern Euphrates.

8. The Syrian government launched a military campaign on areas west of Aleppo (Deir Hafer), which had been under SDF control since Assad’s fall. The campaign extended to include Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces east of the Euphrates, with the participation of local tribal fighters who had defected from the SDF.

9. On January 16, 2025, President al-Shar’a issued Decree No. 13 granting “rights” to the Kurds, including citizenship for stateless individuals.

10. On January 18, 2026, President al-Shar’a and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a new agreement.

11. On January 22, SDF leader Ilham Ahmed requested military assistance from Israel.

12. As of January 25, the SDF controls Hasakah province east of the Euphrates and a small enclave in Ain al-Arab/Kobani north of Raqqa.

    
    
    

13. The January 18 agreement was extended for four days, ending on Saturday, January 24. The Syrian Ministry of Defense then announced a 15-day extension to implement the agreement, with regional and international mediation underway.

sources: SANA. Al-jazeera, Syrian government & sdf  official statements

Syria news report