Syrian military announces new, four-day ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces

Damascus, Jan 20 (AP) The Syrian military announced Tuesday evening a new four-day ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces after a previous agreement fell through.

There was no immediate response from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The two sides have been clashing for two weeks, amid a breakdown in negotiations over implementation of a deal to merge their forces together.

The announcement came after SDF forces earlier Tuesday abandoned their posts guarding a camp housing thousands of people affiliated with the Islamic State militant group — a move that the Syrian military said allowed detainees to escape.

The al-Hol camp houses mainly women and children who are family members of IS members or accused of being otherwise affiliated with the group.

(AP) GRS GRS