ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Delegations from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government met on Monday, carrying out a transfer of prisoners and discussing recent tensions in northern Syria as integration talks between the two sides advance. 

The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led northeast Syria (Rojava) administration have expressed conflicting positions on the future and integration of the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus. However, the SDF’s leadership has recently reported progress in integration talks. 

“During the meeting, discussions were held regarding the tensions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, and ways to address them through peaceful means that ensure the safety and stability of residents and prevent any field escalation,” the SDF said in a statement, about the meeting held in the town of Tabqa in the northern Raqqa province. 

Heavy clashes erupted earlier this month between Syrian forces and the SDF-affiliated internal security forces (Asayish) in northern Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, following a crackdown on demonstrators protesting the government’s unexplained closure of all roads leading to the area, leading to dozens of casualties. 

A shaky ceasefire was later reached that has prevented further escalations. 

“As a gesture of goodwill, our forces also handed over a number of detainees from Damascus government forces who had been captured in various locations during the past period,” the SDF added, reaffirming “commitment to peaceful solutions, maintaining stability, and protecting civilians.” 

On March 10, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed a deal that would see the SDF and institutions in Rojava integrate into the Syrian state apparatus. Despite the agreement, both sides have proceeded with caution, and the deal has yet to be implemented. 

Earlier in October, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told a joint presser with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan that “the SDF has been slow” in implementing the agreement, accusing them of not taking “any practical steps” to implement the deal yet.

Two days after Shaibani’s presser, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the SDF, warned of Damascus’ “repeated violations” of the March 10 agreement and delay in its implementation, renewing calls for a decentralized Syria.

The US-backed SDF functions as the de facto army of northeast Syria and played a key role in the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria in 2019.