Syria’s information minister has said that a ceasefire and integration agreement with the YPG terror group-led SDF will take effect on Monday, describing the deal as a step towards consolidating state authority and easing tensions in the northeast.
Speaking in an interview with the privately owned Syria TV on Friday, Hamza al-Mustafa said Damascus sought to take a "positive step" with the agreement, adding that the situation in Syria after regaining control of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa "is not what it was before".
He said the latest agreement concerning the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli and the integration of military forces builds on a previous accord reached on January 18, describing the new deal as defining the practical mechanisms for implementation.
On January 18, the government and the YPG terror group-led SDF concluded an agreement aimed at ending military confrontation in northeastern Syria and restoring full state authority over key regions east of the Euphrates River.
The agreement set out a framework combining an immediate ceasefire with administrative, military and institutional reintegration under Damascus’ authority.
Under the new agreement, al-Mustafa said YPG terror group-led SDF members will be integrated "individually" into military brigades under the Defence Ministry.
He said implementation will begin on Monday, with the newly appointed security director for Hasakah assuming his duties the same day.
Al-Mustafa added that the government will take control of the Rmeilan and al-Suwaydiyah oilfields, as well as Qamishli airport, within 10 days.
He said the YPG terror group had attempted to present itself as the sole representative of Syrian Kurds and to politicise the issue.
The minister said the government has recently met Kurdish delegations from different political currents, including the Kurdish National Council, to discuss issues affecting the Kurdish community.
Earlier on Friday, the government said it had reached a "comprehensive agreement" with the YPG terror group-led SDF to end internal division and lay the groundwork for full integration.
