ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi said Thursday that talks with Damascus have made “notable progress,” with a "shared understanding" having been reached with the Syrian government to integrate the Kurdish-led force into the Syrian security apparatus.

Abdi's remarks came during a meeting of the advisory body supporting the Negotiation Committee in North and East Syria, which focused on recent political developments and the March 10 agreement.

Abdi said the SDF and the Syrian government have reached a shared understanding on integrating military forces “in a way that serves the public interest," according to Rojava TV, the official channel operating in areas run by the Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria (Rojava).

The SDF commander described the issue of military integration as “a key step in the path toward a solution," adding that constitutional matters still require time and in-depth dialogue to reach a consensual formula that includes all of Syria, stressing that any solution must be based on decentralization.

“There is a convergence of views on the core issues, and we hope to reach full agreements in the coming phase,” Abdi said, according to Rojava TV.

Less than a week before Abdi's Thursday remarks, clashes erupted in the Aleppo neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, areas controlled by local forces linked to the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria, while Syrian government forces control the surrounding entrances and exits.

The altercations left at least one woman dead according to the SDF, while Syrian state media reported four fatalities. Although the fighting later stopped, the neighborhoods remain effectively sealed off.

The violence concurred with a visit by a senior Turkish delegation to Damascus, during which Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani accused the SDF of delaying implementation of the March 10 agreement, which aims to integrate Kurdish forces and institutions into the Syrian state.

In a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Shaibani warned that continued delays could have negative consequences for the region, further escalating political tensions between Damascus and the Kurdish-led authorities.

Baqi Hamza, a member of the Syrian Democratic Council’s foreign relations committee accused Turkey of playing a direct role in the violence. “I assume most of the attacks have been guided by Turkey. The Turkish involvement is very strong… to put pressure on the administration to make compromises,” he told The New Region.

Hamza said that while clashes have stopped, “the siege continues,” and criticized Damascus for failing to take concrete legal or political steps to implement the March 10 agreement beyond its military aspects.