Syrian security forces entered the mixed Kurdish-Arab city of Al-Hasakah in the country’s northeast on Monday, as part of an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate the Kurdish autonomous administration’s institutions into state structures.
This development follows weeks of military escalation, culminating in a “comprehensive” agreement reached on Friday between Syrian authorities and the SDF. The deal outlines a sequential integration of military forces and administrative institutions in Al-Hasakah province. Al-Hasakah is considered the last stronghold for Kurdish forces after their withdrawal from areas they controlled for years in northern and eastern Syria, specifically from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces last January.
A convoy of armored vehicles and 4x4s belonging to the Syrian security forces was seen entering the city, passing through a checkpoint manned by the Kurdish security forces, the “Asayish.” A number of residents gathered in the streets waving Syrian flags, while women ululated in welcome. Kurdish forces had imposed a curfew in the city since Monday morning in preparation for the deployment.
The agreement stipulates the “gradual integration” of Kurdish military forces into the Syrian army, including the formation of a military division of three SDF brigades in the northeast and another brigade for the forces of Kobani (Ain al-Arab). Government forces are also scheduled to enter the city of Kobani, which Kurds consider a symbol of their resistance against the Islamic State organization.
For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose country supports the new authorities in Damascus, warned against any “attempt to sabotage the agreement,” considering it to have “opened a new chapter” for the Syrian people. He stressed that anyone who tries to obstruct its implementation “will be crushed.”
Coinciding with these developments, a United Nations aid convoy of 20 trucks entered the Kobani region, carrying food, medical, and logistical supplies.
On Monday, Syrian security forces began deploying in the city of Al-Hasakah, a Kurdish stronghold in northeastern Syria, as a first step in implementing a comprehensive agreement signed with the Syrian Democratic Forces “SDF”. The agreement aims for the gradual integration of Kurdish military and administrative institutions into the Syrian state structure, marking a significant shift in the future of the formerly autonomous regions.
The agreement includes the integration of SDF fighters into the Syrian army and the assumption of security responsibilities by Syrian security forces in major cities like Al-Hasakah and Qamishli. This development follows the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces and their repositioning in Kurdish-majority areas, paving the way for the country’s unification under the central government’s authority.
Citing multiple media sources.
