QAMISHLI (Hatha Al-Youm) – Sources familiar with ongoing negotiations told Hatha Al-Youm that the 15-day truce extension in Syria was enacted solely at a U.S. request to secure the transfer of ISIS prisoners to Iraq, rather than to facilitate the political integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In separate statements, sources indicated the extension provides "time cover" for Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s transitional government to reposition its forces.
These forces are reportedly now formed around a core of "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS) elements, amidst accusations that these units committed systematic atrocities against Kurdish citizens during their recent advance.
Field sources confirmed that the units currently besieging the city of Kobani and preparing to enter the eastern regions are not traditional regular formations, but rather ideological groups integrated by Al-Sharaa to enforce central control by force.
Fears are mounting within Kurdish circles regarding a potential recurrence of "cleansing" scenarios, particularly after government forces seized the strategic Al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa following a forced SDF withdrawal, leaving Washington's Kurdish allies militarily exposed.
Furthermore, sources revealed that Al-Sharaa secured U.S. and Israeli silence regarding the nature of his forces in exchange for "unprecedented" pledges.
These pledges include proceeding with full normalization of relations with Israel and opening an Israeli consular office in Damascus.
Al-Sharaa committed to ending the Iranian presence, which he described to negotiators as a "stumbling block."
Information indicates that the United States played a key role in isolating the SDF by persuading Arab tribes in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor not to engage the forces advancing from Damascus.
Al-Sharaa justified his military buildup by accusing Hasakah of transforming into a "barracks" for Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) commanders arriving from Iraq, leveraging international cover that views the upcoming battle as a sovereign Syrian matter once the prisons are cleared of the radical group's elements.