Syrian Forces Regain Ground Against Kurdish Forces in Country

Syrian Government Makes Gains in Northeast Syria

The Syrian government has made significant territorial gains in northeast Syria, taking control of cities such as Raqqa and Deir Az Zor from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF had been negotiating with the government since December 2024 over integration into the Syrian armed forces. Negotiations culminated in an agreement on March 10, 2025, to integrate the Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian government forces.

US officials have given their backing to the Syrian government and its forces following these developments. This shift in support has reduced the SDF’s leverage. According to analysts, the Syrian government’s tactics, including a recent decree recognizing Kurdish rights, have contributed to the SDF’s loss of control.

The SDF had previously called for autonomous control or decentralized rule in the northeast. However, details of the agreement were still being ironed out. Tensions between the two sides had simmered, manifesting in recent clashes in Aleppo and an SDF withdrawal from the city across the Euphrates River.

A ceasefire was agreed on Monday, but clashes continued on Tuesday in the Hasakah region of northeast Syria. Analysts believe that individual integration of SDF fighters into Syrian forces is now more likely to occur. The challenge of vetting 50,000 to 80,000 soldiers will be significant from a security point of view.

The Syrian government’s recent advancements have stripped away much of the SDF’s leverage. Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer at King’s College London, stated that the Syrian government played its cards well by having tribal networks rise up against SDF rule. The SDF had previously called for autonomy or decentralized rule in the northeast.

The agreement between Mazloum Abdi, the SDF’s leader, and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been the subject of ongoing discussions since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. The details of the agreement were still being ironed out, but analysts believe that individual integration is now more likely to occur.

Source: Al Jazeera