SDF–Syrian government deal to enter force next week

Shafaq News– Damascus

The agreement signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government will enter into effect in February, following weeks of armed clashes between the two sides, the SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi said on Friday.

Speaking to Syrian Kurdish Ronahi TV, Abdi noted the deal followed a phone call he held earlier in the day with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa. He further pointed to international support and guarantees, adding that US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Al-Sharaa in this context.

“A limited internal security force will enter the security zones in the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli as part of the practical implementation of the integration agreement,” Abdi stated, noting that local security forces will assume responsibility for maintaining order in Kurdish areas, while work continues to integrate them into Syria’s Interior Ministry.

Under the deal, SDF forces and government troops will withdraw from contact lines in Kobani and the Jazira, while local employees and residents in these areas will manage their own affairs. Regarding the Autonomous Administration in Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES), Abdi confirmed that current staff and local government institutions' employees in Kurdish areas will remain in their positions and be integrated into the relevant ministries.

The SDF Commander also revealed that discussions were held with Al-Sharaa regarding abductees, detainees, and missing persons from SDF ranks and among Kurdish civilians. He also stressed that he would not assume any government post, saying he would remain “among his people and by their side,” and would work to form a political reference framework for Kurds in Syria.