Parts of Syria have recently witnessed heightened fighting — barely a year after the country emerged from over a decade-long civil war. On Saturday (January 24), the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, active throughout the civil war, extended a ceasefire for another 15 days. Concerns about spiralling violence led the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the US military’s unified command in the Middle East, to order the transfer of up to 7,000 detainees linked with the Islamic State (IS) terror group from Syria to Iraq. At least 100 detainees have already escaped amid the fighting. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump called Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa a “tough guy” who was “working very hard”. What explains the violence, and the interest of countries such as the US and Turkey? A K Ramakrishnan, a retired professor from the Centre for West Asian Studies, at the School of International Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, explains. Who are the Kurds, and why did the US back them in recent years? The Kurds are one of …