ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The spokesperson of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) told Rudaw on Tuesday that Damascus-backed armed factions continue to violate the ceasefire in northeastern Syria (Rojava), launching attacks against their forces under the guise of “Arab tribes.”
“But the bulk of their attacks have been defeated,” said Roksan Mohammed. “In the village of Safa alone, 40 of their militants were killed.” The village of Safa is located in northeastern Hasaka province.
The YPJ is a key all-female Kurdish force affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Since mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and its allied armed groups have launched a large-scale offensive aimed at retaking areas in eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka that had been under SDF control for nearly a decade.
A US-brokered ceasefire, extended on Saturday for an additional 15 days, is intended to facilitate the transfer of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees from SDF-run prisons in Syria to Iraq. The extension follows an initial four-day truce announced last week.
Despite the agreement, SDF forces remain on high alert along all five frontlines in Hasaka province, amid sporadic attacks by Syrian Arab Army–affiliated groups during the early days of the truce.
The ceasefire follows a major offensive launched in mid-January by the Syrian Arab Army and its allied factions, targeting eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasaka—one of the most significant military escalations in recent months.
The SDF, the de facto military force in Rojava and a key ally of the US-led Coalition, played a crucial role in the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019. Since then, the Kurdish-led forces have maintained control over the areas they liberated, much of which has now been recaptured by Damascus and its allied forces.
Speaking about the latest military developments, Mohammed said, “Ever since the ceasefire was announced, the HTS gangs and Daesh have been violating it. Their plot is to invade West Kurdistan [Rojava], but we will not let them - unless they go over our dead bodies.”
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), now dissolved, was previously led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who launched a swift offensive that ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa was appointed Syria’s interim president in late January 2025.
Mohammed added that Damascus-backed armed factions are violating the ceasefire under the guise of "Arab tribes” as a tactic to advance toward territories under SDF control.
“They have failed to make any advances,” she said.
Regarding the Syrian Arab Army, the YPJ spokesperson said its forces are stationed approximately 30 kilometers from Hasaka province.
“The force is immense, but they have not been able to take control of any area,” she added.