Shafaq News– Damascus/ Hasakah
A deadly explosion near the Tel Kojer (Al-Ya’rubiyah) area in northeastern Syria has sharpened tensions between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with each side trading blame as the ceasefire shows signs of collapse.
Syria’s Defense Ministry said a suicide drone strike hit an army position in the Hasakah countryside, killing seven soldiers and wounding 20 others, describing the attack as a “dangerous escalation” and a violation of the ceasefire that came into force late Tuesday. State media reported the incident occurred while government forces were securing an ammunition-related site near the border crossing.
The SDF, however, categorically denied any involvement. In a statement, the SDF said it carried out no military activity in the area and rejected claims that it targeted an ammunition depot, asserting that the blast resulted from an accident during the transfer of ammunition by Damascus-affiliated factions.
The SDF further accused Damascus-aligned forces of multiple ceasefire violations across the Jazira and Kobani regions within hours of the ceasefire taking effect. According to its media center, shelling and attacks followed in Zirkan north of Hasakah, Tal Baroud south of the city, and around Sarrin and villages near Kobani, including heavy-weapons fire that killed a civilian woman in Hamdoun village. The SDF said its units repelled several of the assaults and reiterated commitment to the ceasefire, urging guarantors and the international community to intervene to protect civilians.
The flare-up comes amid heightened concern over ISIS security risks in the same region. Syria’s Interior Ministry designated Al-Hol camp, which houses ISIS families, as a restricted zone, deploying forces to secure the camp and nearby detention facilities and to pursue detainees who escaped earlier breaches. The camp had previously been under SDF control before its withdrawal; Damascus later accused the SDF of abandoning the area, claiming 120 detainees escaped, with 81 recaptured. Iraqi officials estimate 9,000–10,000 ISIS fighters remain in custody in northeastern Syria, alongside tens of thousands of family members, including more than 3,000 Iraqi nationals.