ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Security forces of the Syrian interim government entered the Kurdish cities of Hasaka, Qamishli and Kobane in northeast Syria (Rojava) starting on Monday, marking the start of the operational phase of a recently signed agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the interim government.
According to state-run al-Ikhbariya TV, Damascus security forces in Aleppo were completing preparations to enter and deploy in the Kobane region “as part of the implementation of the terms of the agreement between the government and the SDF.” The channel also reported that the Damascus security forces stationed along the road linking al-Shaddadi and al-Hol camps in Hasaka province are preparing to enter the city.
The agreement between the SDF and the Syrian interim government officially entered its implementation phase on Monday. Under the deal, security forces from the ministry of interior are scheduled to deploy at specific locations inside Hasaka, Qamishli and Kobane.
A Rudaw reporter in Hasaka said state security forces have entered Hasaka, which are believed to be 15 vehicles carrying between 200-250 personnel.
After weeks of intense clashes, an agreement was reached on Friday between Damascus and the SDF, which includes a comprehensive ceasefire, alongside a sequential process for integrating military and administrative forces.
The deal stipulates the formation of a military division composed of three SDF brigades, as well as a special brigade for Kobane forces within a division affiliated with Aleppo province. In addition, the deal outlines the integration of Kurdish-run Autonomous Administration institutions into Syrian state institutions while preserving the status of civilian employees, settling the civil and educational rights of the Kurdish people, and ensuring the return of displaced people to their home areas.
The agreement follows a large-scale offensive by the Syrian Arab Army and its affiliated factions aimed at capturing territory and key infrastructure held by the Kurdish-led SDF in Rojava. The fighting forced SDF withdrawals from Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo, the predominantly Kurdish province of Hasaka and former Islamic State (ISIS) strongholds in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
According to United Nations estimates, around 100,000 people were displaced.
On Sunday, delegations from the internal security forces in Aleppo visited both Kobane and Hasaka to coordinate implementation.
According to Ronahi TV, meetings were held with SDF-affiliated Asayish (security) leadership to discuss the security situation, the withdrawal of military forces, and preparations to integrate Kobane’s Asayish forces under Aleppo’s authority.
On the ground in Qamishli, Asayish members continue to set up makeshift checkpoints as coordination unfolds. Speaking to Rudaw, Bilal Ali, an Asayish member, said their goal is “to protect our area. We are working for Western Kurdistan [Rojava].”
Another fighter, Mohammed Esin, said, “We have not gone home yet. [The government forces] will only pass through Hasaka and Qamishli. They will be positioned only in the Security Square.”
Confirming the scope of the deployment, Sihanok Dibo, the Representative of Rojava to the Gulf states, said that “a limited number - maximum 200-250 personnel [from Damascus-affiliated] internal security forces - will be deployed to Security Squares in both cities.”
Updated at 3:25 pm