Aid convoys reached the Kurdish-majority enclave of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) in northern Syria as a fragile ceasefire between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) largely held, easing shortages after weeks of fighting.
A United Nations-supported convoy delivered humanitarian supplies to Kobani, the first such shipment to enter the area since clashes flared earlier this month, U.N. officials said.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 24 trucks entered the enclave and delivered life-saving aid, including fuel and ready-to-eat rations, before exiting after unloading.
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the convoy carried food, nutritional and health supplies, hygiene materials, winter items, kitchen kits and supplies for children. He said it also included two fuel tankers to resupply the Karakoi water station and help restore water services to Kobani and nearby villages.
The International Organization for Migration has said renewed violence in northeast Syria displaced more than 173,000 people, though some began returning as the truce reduced hostilities.
Türkiye sends 11-truck convoy
In Türkiye, ruling AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik said Ankara dispatched an 11-truck humanitarian convoy to Kobani in coordination with AFAD and the Turkish Red Crescent, working with Syrian authorities and an Aleppo aid coordination center.
Çelik said the shipment included five trucks carrying 50 tonnes of flour, one truck of blankets, and five trucks loaded with baby diapers and food. He said the assistance would continue “without ethnic or political discrimination,” and vowed support for Syrians of different communities.
The deliveries came after Syria extended a ceasefire with the SDF by 15 days on Saturday, following a previous four-day truce.
The extension was announced as the United States began a separate operation to transfer ISIL detainees from northeast Syria to Iraqi custody.
The U.S. military has said the mission started with 150 detainees moved from Hasakah to a secure location in Iraq, with plans that could eventually cover up to 7,000 detainees.
Despite the ceasefire extension, Syria’s state media has reported continued friction around Kobani. SANA said Syrian forces downed multiple drones it said were launched toward roads and homes near Ayn al-Arab by the SDF.
Separately, Syria’s Interior Ministry said it had begun receiving SDF members in Deir ez-Zor and Aleppo provinces who want to “regularize their status,” after handing over weapons to security authorities, describing the move as part of efforts to restore stability and help people return to civilian life.
In Ankara, Türkiye’s Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) rejected claims circulating online that Syrian military operations were being directed with Turkish-language instructions from a Damascus headquarters. DMM said the footage was from 2021 and had been re-circulated after editing and the addition of Arabic audio.
