Syrian government, SDF announce integration deal

• The Syrian Democratic Forces say a comprehensive agreement establishes a ceasefire with the Syrian government.
• The deal includes a phased integration of military and administrative structures.

The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Friday they had reached a comprehensive ceasefire agreement that includes the phased integration of military and administrative institutions into the Syrian state.

Under the deal, forces massed along northern front lines will withdraw, while Interior Ministry security units will deploy to the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli in northeastern Syria, both currently under SDF control. Local security forces in the two cities will be merged.

Read more: What are the details of the Syrian government, SDF agreement?

The agreement was announced after Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa seized large areas of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF earlier this month, forcing Kurdish forces to retreat into a reduced enclave.

The deal also provides for the creation of a military division incorporating three SDF brigades, as well as a separate brigade for forces in the SDF-held town of Kobani, also known as Ain al-Arab. That unit will be affiliated with Aleppo governorate.

Read more: Syrian army says SDF breached ceasefire, considers military response

“The agreement aims to unify Syrian territory and achieve full integration in the region by strengthening cooperation between the concerned parties and unifying efforts to rebuild the country,” the SDF said in a statement.

A senior Syrian government official told Reuters the agreement was finalized late Thursday night and that implementation would begin immediately.