Syrian government says truce with SDF has ended, weighs next steps

ISTANBUL

The Syrian government announced that a four-day truce with the terrorist organization YPG/SDF has ended and said it is now considering its options, a government source told Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

“The truce has ended with the SDF, and the Syrian government is considering its options,” the source said, without providing further details.

On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry announced a four-day ceasefire with the SDF, which took effect at 8 pm local time (1700GMT) the same day.

Separately, the Syrian presidency also made an announcement, saying a “mutual understanding” has been reached with the SDF group regarding the future of the eastern Hasakah province.

Under the understanding, the SDF was given “four days for consultations” to prepare “a detailed plan for practical integration of the areas,” the presidency said in a statement.

In the event of an agreement, “Syrian forces will not enter the city centers of Hasakah and Qamishli and will remain on their outskirts,” it added.

The presidency said the two sides agreed to “integrate all SDF military and security forces into the structures of the Syrian ministries of defense and interior, while consultations continue on the technical details of this integration.”

According to the statement, the SDF head Mazloum Abdi will put forward a candidate from the group for the post of deputy defense minister, in addition to nominating a candidate for the position of Hasakah governor. The group will also submit lists for representation in the People’s Assembly, and names for employment in various state institutions.

The presidency said Syrian forces “will not enter Kurdish villages,” where no armed forces will be present except for “local security forces” drawn from the area’s residents.