Syrian militiaman shows off what he claims to be severed Kurdish fighter's braid as Damascus asserts control

A video showing a Syrian militiaman holding what helium claims to beryllium a severed braid belonging to a Kurdish combatant killed successful Raqqa has sparked outrage arsenic Damascus moves to asseverate power successful northeastern Syria amid a fragile ceasefire.

In the video, the antheral holds up what appears to beryllium a chopped braid. He is said to archer the idiosyncratic filming that helium took it from a pistillate helium claims was affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

"The video highlighted the fears galore Kurds person astir what Syrian authorities power could mean for their communities," Syria expert Nanar Hawach told Fox News Digital.

"The Damascus-affiliated combatant held up a severed braid, claiming helium chopped it from a YPJ combatant killed successful Raqqa, but helium aboriginal claimed it was ‘artificial’ and ‘a joke.’ The woman’s individuality and destiny stay unverified," Hawach, of International Crisis Group, said

"The effect matters much than the video though," helium added, noting that the braid carries "cultural value successful Kurdish contented and has go a awesome of women’s resistance."

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Women began braiding their hairsbreadth successful protestation aft a video went viral appearing to amusement a Syrian worker bragging astir cutting a Kurdish pistillate fighter's braid. (Omar Karim / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

The incidental comes arsenic Damascus, nether President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pushes to grow its scope and authorization into areas agelong governed by the SDF, the U.S.' main spouse successful the combat against ISIS successful Syria.

Raqqa, erstwhile the Islamic State group’s de facto capital, has besides seen warring look crossed the portion betwixt Syrian authorities forces and Kurdish units, prompting a U.S.-brokered cease-fire connected Jan. 18.

The truce followed diplomatic efforts by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who met SDF commandant Mazloum Abdi and Kurdish person Masoud Barzani successful Erbil connected Jan. 17 earlier traveling to Damascus to conscionable al-Sharaa, Reuters reported.

"This caller 15-day ceasefire hold has created a existent diplomatic window, but postpones alternatively than resolves the cardinal dispute," Hawach said.

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Syrian information forces accrued information measures astatine Al-Hawl exile camp. (Santiago Montag/Anadolu via Getty Image)

"For Syria’s Kurds, the hold offers impermanent alleviation but possibly small certainty astir what comes next," helium said. "The cardinal disagreement remains: Damascus insists connected idiosyncratic integration, portion the SDF views organizational dissolution arsenic governmental erasure."

The ceasefire hold was besides tied to information concerns surrounding ISIS prisoners held successful northeastern Syria.

Damascus has taken power of respective detention sites. As antecedently reported by Fox News Digital, prisoners escaped amid the transportation of power earlier U.S. Central Command began moving detainees to Iraq connected Jan. 21, with the cognition ongoing.

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Syrian citizens observe and rise Syrian flags connected Jan. 20, 2026 successful Raqqa, Syria. (Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)

"Washington is racing to transportation detainees earlier the information concern deteriorates further," Hawach said.

"Washington’s extremity is to forestall this standoff from producing 2 outcomes: unit against Kurds, oregon an Islamic State resurgence from detention facilities," helium said.

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"The U.S. is trying to guarantee this modulation doesn’t extremity successful unit on taste lines oregon an Islamic State resurgence," Hawach added.

"The cardinal quality implicit integration betwixt the SDF and Damascus remains unresolved. If they cannot span that gap, renewed warring is imaginable erstwhile this caller 15-day ceasefire expires," helium said.