Syrian government forces are waging a brutal campaign against Kurdish-led fighters in northeast Syria, seizing oil-rich territories and triggering ISIS prison breaks. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and thousands across the Kurdistan Region have rallied in solidarity, condemning international abandonment as Damascus celebrates its advances against the SDF.
Mass Demonstrations Erupt Across Kurdistan Region
Thousands of residents across cities in the Kurdistan Region, including Erbil, Sulaimaniya, Duhok, and Halabja, took to the streets on the night of January 19, 2026, to demonstrate support for Kurdish communities in Rojava (West Kurdistan), Syria, amid escalating violence by Syrian government forces.
Crowds gathered outside the US Consulate in Erbil to protest what they described as Washington’s betrayal of the Kurds in Syria as Damascus moves to crush Kurdish autonomy. Protesters carried Kurdistan flags and chanted slogans in support of Kurdish unity and the protection of hard-won gains in Rojava against Syrian Arab Army aggression.
In Sulaimaniya, large numbers of residents from all walks of life, including families, gathered in solidarity with Kurds in Rojava, declaring “Rojava and Rojhilat (East) are not alone.”
Syrian Forces Trigger ISIS Prison Breaks
The demonstrations came as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it had lost control of one prison facility holding ISIS detainees after fighting broke out with fighters loyal to the Damascus government. The SDF reported that despite the prison being less than 2 miles from a U.S.-led coalition base, coalition forces “did not intervene, despite repeated calls for intervention.”
The Syrian army announced a curfew in the city of al-Shaddadi in the country’s northeast after the escape of ISIS fighters from the city’s prison amid clashes with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF said in a statement that nine of its members were killed and 20 others wounded defending al-Aqtan prison near Raqqa, which also houses ISIS detainees, against Syrian government attacks.
Syria’s Interior Ministry says 81 of some 120 ISIS detainees who had escaped from a prison have been recaptured. While Damascus attempts to blame the SDF, Kurdish forces maintain that Syrian army aggression directly caused the security breakdown.
Damascus Celebrates Offensive Against Kurdish Defenders
Adding to Kurdish concerns, Syrian Endowment Minister Mohammad Abu al-Khair Shukri has urged mosques across the country to celebrate the “conquests and victories” achieved by Damascus-affiliated forces in the country’s eastern part—an inflammatory reference to fighting against the Kurdish-led SDF in Hasaka and Raqqa provinces.
The SDF suffered major territorial losses over the weekend when Syrian government forces launched attacks capturing wide areas in territory under the group’s control in the country’s northeast following deadly clashes. Syrian forces have seized control of the oil-rich provinces of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, including the al-Omar oilfield—Syria’s largest—which had been protected by Kurdish-led forces since 2017.
Broken Ceasefire Exposes Kurdish Vulnerability
The clashes occurred just one day after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi reached a ceasefire agreement. The accord was meant to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army and end days of deadly fighting during which government forces captured wide areas of northeast Syria from the SDF through military aggression.
Despite uncertainty about the ceasefire, al-Sharaa and United States President Donald Trump on Monday spoke about the “need to guarantee the Kurdish people’s rights and protection within the framework of the Syrian state,” according to the Syrian presidency. However, Kurdish leaders remain skeptical given the ongoing attacks.
Kurdistan Region Leaders Demand International Action
Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), received British Consul General Andrew Bizley to discuss urgent concerns regarding the situation in West Kurdistan and Syria, demanding immediate protection of Kurdish rights against Syrian government aggression. President Bafel stated that, based on recent political developments, the intention is to form a government that can better serve the people of the Kurdistan Region and support their brethren in Rojava.
Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, has urged the United States and the international community to support Kurdish rights in Syria during a meeting with Tom Barak, the U.S. Special Envoy for Syrian Affairs. In a statement posted on his X account, Talabani said he discussed the dire situation of Kurds in Rojava, emphasizing their demand for basic rights after a century of oppression and marginalization by successive Syrian regimes.
“The Kurdish people in Western Kurdistan, after enduring a century of oppression, discrimination, and marginalization, are seeking guarantees for their most fundamental rights,” Talabani stated. He reminded the U.S. envoy that the Kurds have been instrumental allies to America and the West in defeating what he described as “the world’s largest terrorist organization,” a reference to ISIS. Talabani stressed the necessity of American and international backing to ensure Kurdish rights are protected against Damascus’s campaign within the framework of an independent and democratic Syria.
International Community Called to Account
Kurdistan Region Vice President Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa met with US Congressman Joe Wilson at the US Congress on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and regional security challenges. The Vice President emphasized the importance of maintaining strong US relations with both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and highlighted the ongoing threat posed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria—a threat magnified by Syrian government attacks on Kurdish forces.
Congressman Joe Wilson reaffirmed US support for a strong Kurdistan Region within a federal Iraq, noting the importance of the relationship between the United States, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region in promoting peace and stability.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) announced in a statement that northern and eastern Syria are facing dangerous attacks carried out by armed extremist groups affiliated with the interim government, emphasizing that the Kurds were at the forefront of the battle against ISIS and played an active role in defeating the organization—sacrifices now being repaid with military aggression from Damascus.
