48 hours in pictures, 18 January 2026

Syrian government forces launch a rocket towards Kurdish forces near Dibsi Faraj in the northern Syrian Tabqa area, Raqa province on January 17, 2026.

Syria’s army took control of swathes of northern Syria and threatened to bomb parts of Raqa province on January 17, after Kurdish forces pulled back from territory they had held for over a decade. The government appeared to be seeking to extend its grip on parts of the country under Kurdish control a day after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree declaring Kurdish a “national language” and granting the minority official recognition.