ADDS DETAILS, REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Laith Al-Jnaidi and Mohammad Sio
ISTANBUL (AA) – A delegation from Syria’s Defense Ministry on Friday traveled to the northeastern province of Hasakah to discuss mechanisms for integrating members of the YPG/SDF into state military institutions, in line with a comprehensive agreement reached in late January.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the army’s Operations Command said a military delegation held a meeting with senior Syrian army officers and conducted a field tour of several areas and sites in Hasakah alongside SDF representatives, describing the atmosphere as “positive.”
The authority said the meeting and tour aimed to begin applying the agreement between the Syrian state and the SDF on the ground, adding that the sides agreed on specific timelines to start implementing its provisions in the coming days.
It said the agreement includes withdrawals from civilian areas to designated military points, reopening roads, cooperation in dismantling mines, removing earthworks and accelerating the integration process.
Damascus announced a comprehensive ceasefire and phased integration agreement between the government and the SDF last month.
Under the agreement, the two sides committed to an immediate ceasefire and a phased process to integrate military and administrative structures.
The deal also provides for the withdrawal of forces from contact lines and the deployment of Interior Ministry security forces to the city centers of Hasakah and Qamishli in northeastern Syria as part of broader efforts to restore stability.
The agreement further aims to unify Syrian territory, enforce state authority, and advance full institutional integration through coordination and joint efforts to rebuild the country.
On Jan. 18, the Syrian government and the SDF signed an earlier ceasefire and integration deal, but Damascus has since accused the SDF group of repeated and “serious” violations.
The latest agreement followed a military operation by the Syrian Army that reclaimed large areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated breaches by the SDF of previous understandings.