Syria poised to attack Kurdish-held towns to pressure stalled talks, sources say

Members of the Syrian army stand on a military vehicle, as Syrian state agency, SANA, reported on Wednesday that the Syrian army sent reinforcements from Latakia to "Deir Hafer front", amid escalating tensions and threats from the Syrian government to launch an offensive against Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Latakia, Syria, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Syrian troops ‌are poised to attack towns in the north and east held by Kurdish fighters, sources familiar with the matter said, to pressure autonomy-minded Kurds into making concessions in deadlocked talks with the ‌Damascus government.

The threat of renewed military action highlights the deepening fault lines between the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has vowed to reunify the fractured country under one leadership ‌after 14 years of civil war, and regional Kurdish authorities wary of his Islamist-led administration.