Video shows Syrian fighter with braid he claims is from Kurdish woman in Raqqa

Video showing a Syrian militiaman holding a cut braid he claimed belonged to a Kurdish fighter killed in Raqqa sparked outrage as Damascus moves to seize control in northeastern Syria amid a fragile ceasefire.

In the video, the man is holding a cut braid. He is said to have told the person who shot the video that he received it from a woman he claimed was affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

When asked why, he said, “He’s already gone, what will he do?” According to the London-based news source New Arab.

The video sparked an online campaign and protests in which Kurdish women braided their hair in solidarity. Anger continued to grow as control began to shift in northeastern Syria. AFP reported.

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“The video highlighted the fears many Kurds have about what Syrian government control could mean for their communities,” the Syria analyst said. Nanar Hawach told Fox News Digital.

“The Damascus-affiliated fighter held up a severed braid, claiming to have cut it from a YPJ fighter killed in Raqqa, but later claimed it was ‘artificial’ and a ‘joke’. The woman’s identity and fate have not yet been confirmed,” Hawach said. International Crisis Groupin question

“The response matters more than the video though,” he added, noting that the braid carries “cultural significance in Kurdish tradition and has become a symbol of women’s resistance.”

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The incident comes as Damascus, under President Ahmed al-Shara, seeks to expand its influence and authority in areas long ruled by the SDF, the United States’ main partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria.

Raqqa, once the de facto capital of ISIS, saw clashes break out between Syrian government forces and Kurdish units across the region, leading to a US-brokered ceasefire on January 18.

The ceasefire came after diplomatic efforts by US envoy Tom Barrack, who met with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani in Erbil on January 17 before traveling to Damascus to meet with Al Shara. Reuters reported.

“This new 15-day ceasefire extension created a real diplomatic window, but postponed rather than resolved the core conflict,” Hawach said. he said.

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Syrian security forces have increased security measures in Al-Hawl refugee camp. (Santiago Montag/Anadolu via Getty Image)

“For Kurds in Syria, the extension provides temporary relief but perhaps little certainty about what will happen next,” he said. “The fundamental disagreement remains: Damascus insists on individual integration, while the SDF sees organizational disintegration as political erasure.”

The extension of the ceasefire was also linked to security concerns about ISIS prisoners held in northeastern Syria.

Damascus took control of several detention centers. As Fox News Digital previously reported, prisoners escaped and the operation was ongoing during the transfer of control before U.S. Central Command began transferring detainees to Iraq on January 21.

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Syrian citizens celebrate and wave Syrian flags in Raqqa, Syria, on January 20, 2026. (Ahmet Hasaballah/Getty Images)

“Washington is racing to transfer detainees before the security situation worsens,” Hawach said.

“Washington’s goal is to prevent this separation from leading to two outcomes: violence against the Kurds or the resurgence of the Islamic State from detention centers,” he said.

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“The United States is trying to ensure that this transition does not lead to violence across ethnic lines or a resurgence of the Islamic State,” Hawach added.

“The main disagreement between the SDF and Damascus on integration is still unresolved. If they cannot close this gap, it is possible that the clashes will restart when the new 15-day ceasefire ends.” he said.