Syrian government forces advance into Kurdish-held north as U.S. urges restraint

Syrian government troops advanced into Kurdish-held territory in the north on Saturday, seizing key towns and sparking clashes that raised U.S. concerns about the renewal of a wider conflict and drew government forces closer to Raqqa. The escalation follows intense fighting earlier this month between the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F., a Kurdish-led militia backed by the United States, and has raised the prospect of a government push toward Raqqa.

Raqqa, seized by the Islamic State in 2014 and later recaptured in a U.S.-backed campaign, remains under S.D.F. control with a small American military presence. The fighting comes amid stalled talks over integrating Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the new Syrian state.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Kurdish-led forces have been hesitant to submit to the new government’s authority, and negotiations have not produced agreement in recent months. The S.D.F. announced a withdrawal from several positions east of Aleppo hours before the advance, after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree affirming the rights of Kurdish Syrians.

The withdrawal was widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions, but each side accused the other of violating the terms and exchanges of fire were reported in several towns as government forces advanced through oil-rich areas toward the strategic town of Tabqa, roughly 30 miles from Raqqa.

Key Topics

World, Syrian Government, Syrian Democratic Forces, Raqqa, Tabqa, Ahmed Al-sharaa