ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian security forces entered the Kurdish city of Hasaka on Monday to implement a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with newly-appointed security officials stressing that the deployment is temporary and aimed at ensuring stability as part of an integration process with Damascus.
Around 100 members of Syria’s internal security forces crossed into the city as part of the deal, which was announced last week and came into force on Monday following weeks of intense fighting between the SDF and Damascus-affiliated factions.
The agreement, which was shared by both the SDF and Syrian state media, outlines steps toward a permanent ceasefire and the gradual integration of the SDF’s military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state, while maintaining local security arrangements in Kurdish areas.
“We are here to implement the agreement and ensure security and safety for the people,” Marwan al-Ali, the newly-appointed head of Syrian internal security in Hasaka, told Rudaw.
As part of the arrangement, Siamand Afrin, a senior commander of the Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) affiliated with the SDF, was appointed deputy head of security in Hasaka. Afrin said the presence of Syrian forces in the city would be limited.
“They have come to stay for a while, and afterward they will leave,” Afrin said.
A similar deployment is expected on Tuesday, when approximately 100 Syrian security personnel are set to enter the nearby Kurdish city of Qamishli, also in Hasaka province.