A disturbing video showing a Syrian militiaman holding what he claims is a severed braid from a Kurdish fighter has ignited outrage just as Damascus works to tighten its grip over northeastern Syria during a fragile 15-day truce. Apparently, when you’re trying to win hearts and minds, waving around a braid on camera is now part of the strategy.
In the footage, the man holds up what looks like a cut braid and tells the person filming that he took it from a woman he claims was affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). When asked why, he reportedly replied, “She’s already gone, what will she do?” according to the London-based outlet New Arab.
The video quickly triggered protests and an online campaign in which Kurdish women braided their hair in solidarity. As control in northeastern Syria began to shift, anger continued to grow, AFP reported.
“The video highlighted the fears many Kurds have about what Syrian government control could mean for their communities,” Syria analyst Nanar Hawach told Fox News Digital.
Hawach said the Damascus-affiliated fighter claimed he cut the braid from a YPJ fighter killed in Raqqa, but later insisted it was “artificial” and “a joke.” The woman’s identity and fate remain unverified. He added that the reaction to the video matters more than the video itself, explaining that the braid carries deep cultural meaning in Kurdish tradition and has become a symbol of women’s resistance.
The incident comes as Damascus, under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, seeks to expand its authority into areas long governed by the SDF, which has been the United States’ main partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria. Raqqa, once the Islamic State’s de facto capital, has again seen clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish units, leading to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Jan. 18.
The truce followed diplomatic efforts by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who met SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani in Erbil on Jan. 17 before traveling to Damascus to meet al-Sharaa, according to Reuters.
“This new 15-day ceasefire extension has created a real diplomatic window, but postpones rather than resolves the fundamental dispute,” Hawach said.
“For Syria’s Kurds, the extension offers temporary relief but perhaps little certainty about what comes next,” he said. “The fundamental disagreement remains: Damascus insists on individual integration, while the SDF views organizational dissolution as political erasure.”
The ceasefire extension is also tied to concerns over ISIS prisoners held in northeastern Syria. Damascus has taken control of several detention sites, and as previously reported by Fox News Digital, prisoners escaped during the transfer of authority before U.S. Central Command began moving detainees to Iraq on Jan. 21, an operation that remains ongoing.
“Washington is racing to transfer detainees before the security situation deteriorates further,” Hawach said. He added that the U.S. goal is to prevent two outcomes: violence against Kurds or a resurgence of ISIS from detention facilities.
Despite the brutality captured in the video and the uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire, the renewed diplomatic efforts and active U.S. involvement show that the situation is not being ignored. With firm pressure on extremists and continued focus on stability, there remains a real chance to prevent chaos and protect vulnerable communities while keeping ISIS from rising again.
