QAMISHLI, Syria, Jan 27 - In the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, residents are organizing volunteer night patrols as government forces increase pressure on remaining Kurdish-run areas. The patrols this week included a mechanic, a storekeeper and a student, all determined to defend their neighborhoods and skeptical that a fragile ceasefire will hold.
"We re going out to guard our neighbourhoods, to stand with our people and protect our land," said 23-year-old Yazan Ghanem, one of those taking part in the patrols. "This is our land. We won ccept any outside interference in our areas."
The patrols and public statements reflect deep unease in the enclave even after a U.S.-backed ceasefire was extended on Saturday for 15 days. Reports indicate some clashes have occurred since the extension.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa nd his government have reclaimed large swathes of the north and east from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and are pressing for the integration of the remaining Kurdish-administered areas back into state control. The SDF retains control of its northeastern enclave, where Kurds established de facto autonomy during the civil war.
Although Sharaa has publicly pledged to preserve Kurdish rights - including recognition of Kurdish as a national language earlier this month - many of the residents patrolling Qamishli expressed little trust in the former al Qaeda commander nd his forces.
"We have fears and doubts about the government because, quite simply, wherever it has entered, there have been massacres and killing," said Radwan Eissa, brandishing a gun while speaking with patrol members.
Those fears are grounded in episodes of violence last year. The article reports that tensions grew among Syrian minorities following clashes between the Sunni Muslim-led government and members of the Alawite community in the coastal region, and violence in Sweida province affecting Druze communities, with government-aligned fighters killing hundreds of people. Sharaa has said he would pursue accountability for those events.
A senior Syrian government official acknowledged Kurdish concerns as "understandable" in light of abuses by some army personnel in Sweida and reported violations by troops as they have moved into Kurdish-held areas in recent weeks. The official said two people had been arrested related to the recent abuses and that a third individual was on the run and being pursued. "We are keen to learn from past experiences, and we did," the official said.
Legal actions have followed the violence elsewhere in the country. The prosecutor general brought charges last year against about 300 people tied to armed factions affiliated with the Syrian army following violence in the coastal region, and around 265 who belonged to Assad-era paramilitary groups.
Human Rights Watch said on January 25 that both sides appeared to have committed abuses in the current escalation in the northeast that violated international law.
The military frontlines remain tense. Government forces have advanced to the outskirts of Hasakah, an ethnically mixed city approximately 70 km (45 miles) south of Qamishli, and have encircled Kobani, also known as Ain al-Arab, a Kurdish-held town on the Turkish border. The SDF has vowed to defend Kurdish areas.
In an interview with Kurdish broadcaster Ronahi on Sunday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said dialogue with Damascus was ongoing and that after the 15-day ceasefire "serious steps" would be taken toward integration. "Our forces are ready for war and political solutions," he said. "The Kurds must get their rights in this region, and join the Syrian state."
The Syrian official described a January 18 integration deal as intended to calm Kurdish concerns. According to the official, the deal includes provisions meant to reassure Kurds that Syrian troops would not enter Kurdish areas and outlines how local communities would be able to delegate their own representatives.
The SDF expanded its territorial control in Syria during its partnership with the United States in the fight against Islamic State. However, the SDFound its position weakened as U.S. policy shifted toward deeper ties with Sharaa over the past year. President Donald Trump was quoted on January 20 as saying Washington was trying to protect the Kurds.
Views among Kurds over the path forward vary. Giwana Hussein, a 23-year-old student in Qamishli, said she hoped the ceasefire signalled both sides wanted a political resolution. She urged Damascus to allow Kurds to manage their own affairs and said she feared that government control could marginalize women nd their rights.
The Syrian official said the government wanted Kurdish concerns to be addressed in a new constitution but maintained that constitutional changes could only be discussed after an integration agreement was reached and implemented. "Once we merge, we can discuss everything," the official said.
Some Kurdish activists, while noting positive steps by the government, say measures so far are insufficient. Ivan Hassib, a Kurdish activist critical of the PYD, described Sharaa ecree recognising Kurdish rights as positive but cautioned it was only a first step. He said Kurdish rights should be enshrined in the constitution and not limited to cultural recognition. "The lasting solution ... is for the Kurds and other groups to obtain some form of autonomy," he said.
As Qamishli residents continue to patrol their streets and leaders on both sides speak of political talks, the enclave remains on high alert. The extended ceasefire and the January 18 integration framework are seen by some officials as steps toward resolution, while many residents say recent violence elsewhere in Syria leaves them wary and determined to maintain local control.