Kurdish-led SDF agrees integration with Syrian government forces

Syria’s Kurdish-led forces have reached a comprehensive agreement with the government to integrate with the Syrian army.

The interim government in Damascus has been fighting an offensive in the north of the country against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) over recent weeks as it seeks to consolidate control of the country following the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

However, a ceasefire over the past week or so has developed into an agreement for a phased integration of the Kurdish military forces into the army, according to an SDF statement issued on Friday.

Shortly afterwards, Syrian state TV confirmed the agreement, which will also see the gradual integration of Kurdish civil institutions into state structures, reporting that government officials said it would be implemented immediately.

The agreement follows the army’s seizure of swaths of northern and northeastern territory in the last three weeks from the SDF.

The rapid turn of events helps to consolidate the leadership of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose government has been frustrated by its failure to secure the integration of Kurdish fighters and political entities into central institutions, despite months of talks.

Under ​the agreement, forces will withdraw from the front lines, ‌government units will ‌deploy to ⁠the centres of the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli, and ‌local security forces will be merged.

A military division that includes three SDF brigades will be formed. Another brigade based in the town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, will be affiliated with the governorate of Aleppo, the main city in Syria’s northeastern Kurdish region, according to the SDF statement.

Governing institutions established by Kurdish-led groups in the northeast of Syria are to be merged with state institutions.

‘Historic milestone’

The fate ⁠of the SDF, which once held a quarter or more of Syria, has been one of the biggest issues looming over the country since forces led by al-Sharaa, who once had links to ISIL (ISIS) – led the push to topple al-Assad 14 months ago.

A deal to fold the Kurdish political and military bodies into the state was first agreed in March 2025, but made scant progress towards implementation before a year-end deadline, paving the way for government forces to go on the march.

The ceasefire over the past week had appeared to be largely holding, even as each side accused the other of violating its terms, but the Kurdish forces had found themselves pressed back and unlikely to cling on in their northeastern enclave.

The United States president’s envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, called Friday’s agreement a “historic milestone” that “reflects a shared commitment to inclusion, mutual respect, and the collective dignity of all Syrian communities”.

President Donald Trump recently said he was “very happy” with developments in Syria, after a call with al-Sharaa, who appears to have successfully put his ISIL links behind him to convince world leaders to give him the benefit of the doubt regarding his commitment to democracy.

During the call with Trump, al-Sharaa emphasised “Syria’s full commitment to its territorial integrity and its national sovereignty and the state’s keenness to preserve its institutions and promote civil peace”.

Having previously backed the SDF as it fought ISIL, it is clear that the US now sees al-Sharaa as its primary partner in Syria.

The interim president continues to work on mending Syria’s foreign relations in all directions.

He met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow on Wednesday, as the Kremlin sought to secure the future of military bases vital for its operations in the Middle East.