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05-02-2026
DAMASCUS: The Syrian army has moved into the northeastern city of Hasakah, which was formerly under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a first step towards implementing a US-backed ceasefire deal.
A large convoy of trucks was seen entering the city on Monday hours after the SDF declared a curfew there.
Syrian government forces were also expected to enter the cities of Kobane and Qamishli.
The SDF reached a comprehensive agreement with the government on Friday to integrate with the Syrian army, after Kurdish-led forces ceded territory to advancing government troops in recent weeks after months of tensions and sporadic clashes.
Government forces are expected to be stationed in Syrian state buildings in Hasakah’s so-called “security zone”, a Syrian official and a Kurdish security source told media ahead of the deployment.
“What’s happening here is very significant,” journalist Teresa Bo reported just outside of Hasakah, adding that a convoy of 150 personnel from the Syrian military had entered the city.
“Where I’m standing right now, there used to be a checkpoint run by the Kurdish-led SDF, and it is now being manned by soldiers from the Syrian army. This shows just how significant this territory is: an area that has been under the control of the SDF throughout the Syrian civil war,” she said.
The United States has hailed the agreement as a historic milestone towards unity and reconciliation after 14 years of war.
SDF integration
The SDF was once Washington’s main Syrian ally, playing a vital part in the fight against ISIL (ISIS) but its status weakened as US President Donald Trump built ties with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The deal announced on Friday includes the formation of a military division that will include three SDF brigades, in addition to a brigade for forces in the SDF-held town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, which will be affiliated with the state-controlled governorate of Aleppo.
The deal also provides for governing bodies in SDF-held areas to be merged with state institutions. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Interior Ministry forces had begun deploying in rural areas near Kobane on Monday.
Since rebels toppled al-Assad 14 months ago, al-Sharaa’s efforts to bring the fractured nation under central rule have been complicated by deadly violence last year involving the Alawite and Druze communities.
Three days ago, 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 Syrian army’s seizure of swaths of northern and northeastern territory in the last three weeks from the SDF. (Int’l News Desk)
