United News of Bangladesh

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Friday announced a fresh agreement with Syria’s central government aimed at reinforcing a ceasefire that ended weeks of clashes and setting out a roadmap for integration between the two sides. Under the deal, security forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry will deploy to the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli in the Kurdish heartland, areas they were previously barred from entering, the SDF said in a statement. The agreement also initiates the process of merging SDF forces with government troops. As part of the integration, a new military formation will be created, comprising three brigades drawn from the SDF. In addition, a separate brigade of SDF fighters will be incorporated within an existing government brigade in Aleppo province. The agreement also provides for the integration of local institutions of the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria and their employees into state institutions. The region has operated as a de facto autonomous zone for several years. The SDF said the deal includes provisions for civil and educational rights for Kurdish people and guarantees the return of displaced residents to their home areas. According to the statement, the agreement seeks to unify Syrian territory and complete the integration process through enhanced cooperation and joint efforts to rebuild the war-torn country. There was no immediate official comment from Damascus, though Syrian state television quoted an unnamed official as confirming the agreement. The SDF lost much of its territory in northeast Syria during a government offensive after heavy fighting erupted in Aleppo on Jan 6, following months of stalled talks over a previous integration arrangement. Since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new leadership has struggled to fully assert 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 momentum. The United States, a longtime backer 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 pressed both sides to reach an agreement. A ceasefire brokered last week has largely held, and Friday’s announcement is seen as a step toward consolidating that truce.