DAMASCUS, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Syria’s government set a four-day deadline on Tuesday for Kurdish-led forces to agree on integrating their last enclave into the central state as their former main ally, the United States, urged them to do so.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack in a social media post described integration as the “greatest opportunity” the Kurds now have in Syria.
He added that the original purpose of the Syrian Democratic Forces as a counterweight to Islamic State militants had largely expired, and that the U.S. had no long-term interest in retaining its presence in Syria, signalling the apparent end of Washington’s backing.
The SDF, which has lost swathes of territory during government advances in recent days, said it accepted a ceasefire agreement with the Damascus government and that it would not engage in any military action unless attacked.
A Syrian government statement said it had reached an understanding with the SDF, long backed by the United States in the battle against Islamic State, for it to devise an integration plan for Hasakah province or risk state forces entering two SDF-controlled cities.
The government announced a four-day ceasefire and said it had asked the SDF to submit the name of a candidate to take the role of assistant to the defence minister in Damascus as part of the integration.
The swift reversal for the SDF along one of Syria’s main faultlines marks the biggest shift in territorial control in Syria since Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad in 2024 and raises questions over the security of facilities holding Islamic State detainees.
(Reporting by Mahmoud Hassano, Khalil Ashawi, Suleiman al-Khalidi, Orhan Qereman, Jaidaa Taha, Menna Alaa ElDin, Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab; Writing by Tom Perry and Angus McDowall; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
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