Kurdish Leaderships Reveal Details of Plan to Merge with Syrian Army
Sources close to the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said the group's decision to merge its military and security bodies with those of the Kurdish Autonomous Administration is a serious step toward talks with Damascus.
The move, announced late Monday, aims to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi invited Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to visit SDF-held areas in northeastern Syria, congratulating him on leading the country's transition.
The SDF had published the minutes of a three-way meeting that included Abdi along with leaders from the group's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, and the executive administration of the Autonomous Administration.
The meeting resulted in an agreement to merge the SDF's military and security institutions with the security bodies of the Autonomous Administration under the Syrian army's structure.
It also approved the reactivation of state-run civil and service institutions in northeastern Syria and the withdrawal of non-Syrian foreign fighters from SDF ranks and areas under its control as part of efforts to bolster national sovereignty and stability.
Abu Omar Al-Idlibi, a senior commander in the SDF, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting concluded with an understanding that the SDF would be integrated into Syria's Ministry of Defense as a single unit, potentially within a corps or as part of the ministry's eastern command.
However, he noted that discussions were still in their early stages and that oil and gas fields in northeastern Syria were not on the agenda at this stage, but could be addressed in future talks.
Al-Idlibi described the move as an effort to unify forces and strengthen national unity, while reviving state-run civil and service institutions in the northeast to improve public services and living conditions.
The meeting emphasized the need to boost coordination with Damascus, increase dialogue on national issues, and reaffirm Syria's territorial integrity.
Al-Idlibi said the latest decisions would support the integration of local forces into the Syrian army, bolster its defense capabilities, and facilitate the return of displaced people to their hometowns, particularly those from areas affected by Turkish military operations.
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