ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Sunday that a delegation led by its chief Mazloum Abdi has arrived in Damascus. They are currently holding a meeting with the Syrian officials.
“A delegation from the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces is currently meeting with officials from the Damascus government in the Syrian capital, as part of discussions related to the military integration process,” said the SDF.
The SDF added that the delegation also includes two other senior SDF commanders - Sipan Hamo and Sozdar Derik, a senior commander of SDF’s all-women branch, the Women's Protection Units (YPJ).
It is not clear if the Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is participating in the meeting.
Both sides are expected to discuss the integration of the SDF and the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) into state institutions, within the framework of a landmark agreement reached in March.
A spokesperson for the Rojava delegation told Rudaw on Friday that the negotiations are expected to reach a breakthrough in early 2026.
“No timeframe has been determined, but there is hope it will be done in the coming days,” Mariam Ibrahim said. “Although the time has not been specified, we predict it will be done in the early days of 2026.”
She added that a high-level meeting between Abdi and senior officials in Damascus is expected within the next ten days, referring to Sunday’s meeting.
‘Challenges and hurdles’
A key point of contention remains the form of integration. Damascus favors absorbing SDF fighters individually into existing army units, while the SDF insists on remaining as a unified force in its current areas.
Abdulkarim Omer, Rojava representative to Damascus, told Rudaw on Saturday that the talks are facing many “challenges and hurdles” but progress is expected. He explained that the scheduled December 29 visit of the Abdi-led delegation was due to “weather conditions and technical issues.”
“I believe that in the very near future, a high-level meeting will be held in Damascus, with the participation of the American guarantor side. I believe—and once again hope—that in this new meeting, some of the key points of the March 10 agreement will be implemented,” he said.
According to Omer, the Kurdish and Syrian sides are expected to discuss the integration of SDF and its local security forces (Asayish) as well as the issues of oil and border crossings.
SDF-affiliated media reported that Kevin Lambert, the commander of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), is taking part in the Sunday meeting.