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SDF and Syrian govt strike deal to solidify ceasefire
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday they had reached a new agreement with Syria’s central government aimed at consolidating a ceasefire that ended weeks of clashes and outlining steps toward integration between the two sides.
Under the agreement, security forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry will deploy to the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli in northeast Syria, areas they were previously barred from entering, the SDF said in a statement. The deal also launches a process to merge SDF forces with government troops.
As part of the arrangement, a new military formation will be established, comprising three brigades drawn from the SDF. In addition, a separate SDF brigade will be incorporated into an existing government unit in Aleppo province.
The agreement further provides for the integration of local institutions of the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria, along with their employees, into state institutions. The region has operated as a de facto autonomous zone for several years.
The SDF said the deal includes guarantees for civil and educational rights for Kurdish people, as well as provisions to ensure the return of displaced residents to their home areas.
According to the statement, the agreement aims to unify Syrian territory and complete the integration process through enhanced cooperation and joint efforts to rebuild the war-ravaged country.
There was no immediate official response from Damascus, although Syrian state television quoted an unnamed official as confirming the agreement.
The SDF lost large parts of its territory in northeast Syria during a government offensive after heavy fighting erupted in Aleppo on Jan 6, following months of stalled negotiations over a previous integration plan.
Since the ouster of former president Bashar Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new leadership has struggled to reassert control over a country devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war. A deal reached in March to merge the SDF with Damascus failed to gain traction.
The United States, a longtime supporter of the SDF in the fight against Islamic State militants, has recently moved closer to Damascus under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. While Washington did not intervene militarily in the latest clashes, it urged both sides to reach an agreement.
A ceasefire brokered last week has largely held, and Friday’s announcement is widely seen as a step toward reinforcing that truce.