Kurdish-led SDF agrees integration with Syrian government forces

The agreement comes after the SDF lost swaths of territory to the government forces during weeks of fighting.Published On 30 Jan 2026Syria’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.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Syria grants immediate citizenship to Kurds in wake of gains against SDFlist 2 of 4Syrian army, Kurdish-led SDF accuse each other of ceasefire violationslist 3 of 4Syrian army offensive overjoys some, leaves others with ‘existential’ fearlist 4 of 4US president praises Syrian leader al-Sharaa after offensive against SDFend of listHowever, 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.