Syrian government, Kurds agree integration deal, US hails 'historic milestone'

The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces declared a ceasefire deal on Friday that sets out a phased integration of Kurdish fighters into the state, averting a potentially bloody battle and drawing US praise for a "historic milestone".

The sides announced the agreement after government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group this month, forcing the Kurdish forces to retreat into a shrinking enclave in the northeast.

The fate of the SDF, which once held a quarter or more of Syria, has been one of the biggest issues looming over the country since Islamist fighters led by Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad 14 months ago.

US envoy Tom Barrack, who has been closely involved in mediation efforts, declared the agreement "a profound and historic milestone in Syria's journey toward national reconciliation, unity, and enduring stability".

The SDF was once Washington's main Syrian ally, playing a vital part in the fight against Islamic State. But its position grew weaker as President Donald Trump built close ties with Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who has now brought almost all of Syria back under the authority of Damascus.

US ENVOY PRAISES 'COURAGEOUS STEPS' ON BOTH SIDES

Under the agreement, forces that had amassed on front lines in the north would pull back and Interior Ministry security forces will deploy to the centre of the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli in the northeast, both held by the SDF.

The agreement 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 Kobani, also known as Ain al-Arab, which will be affiliated to the governorate of Aleppo.

Governing bodies set up by the Kurdish-led groups in the northeast are to be merged with Syrian state institutions.

Damascus and the SDF first struck an integration deal last March, but made scant progress towards implementation before a year-end deadline, paving the way for government forces to go on the march.

Barrack, in his statement on X, said: "Both sides have taken courageous steps: the Syrian government in extending meaningful inclusion and rights, and the Kurdish communities in embracing a unified framework that honors their contributions while advancing the common good."

Kurds have been on high alert for a potential government push into their remaining enclave, mindful of last year's violence against minority Alawites and Druze.

Noah Bonsey, senior adviser with the International Crisis Group think-tank, said the deal was "a potentially historic turning point". "It looks like both sides have succeeded in defining a middle ground that works for both of them on some incredibly difficult questions," he said.

"It spares northeast Syria what could have been a really ugly military showdown. Implementation will be tricky. There are a lot of challenges ahead," he said, adding that he was waiting to see all the terms.

UNIFYING SYRIAN TERRITORY

Syrian Kurdish politician Elham Ahmad thanked the United States and France for their mediation efforts. "We hope they will play the guarantor role in the integration process," she wrote on X.

An SDF statement said the deal "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".

Syrian state-run broadcaster al-Ikhbariya published an almost identical statement, citing a government official.

A senior Syrian government official told Reuters the deal was final and had been reached late on Thursday night, and that implementation was to begin immediately.

The statements did not address control of the last remaining SDF-controlled border crossing to northern Iraq, known as Semalka. The Syrian official said the Syrian state would take over all border crossings. A spokesperson from the SDF did not immediately respond to a Reuters question on the crossing.

The Syrian official said the military division in the northeast would include "groups from the SDF within brigades, alongside other brigades".

The official said that fighters would join such brigades as "individuals" and that the whole division would be under the authority of Syria's Defence Ministry. There was no immediate response from the SDF to questions on the method of integration and the command structure of the brigades.