ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A Syrian defense ministry delegation on Friday headed toward Rojava’s (northeast Syria) Hasakah to discuss the integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syrian state institutions, in accordance with a recently signed agreement between Rojava and Damascus. 

A delegation from the Ministry of Defense headed to Rojava city to discuss “procedures related to integrating members of the SDF into the military establishment,” the state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, citing the ministry’s media center. 

It added that the move is in line with the terms of the agreement signed between the Syrian government and the SDF.

In late January, SDF announced that it has reached a “comprehensive agreement” with Damascus that will see a phased integration process of the Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian state after weeks-long clashes between both sides.

On Monday, the first convoy of Syrian security forces entered Syria’s Kurdish-majority cities within the framework of a recent ceasefire agreement.

Following the agreement, the SDF-backed candidate Nuraddin Issa Ahmed was appointed governor of Hasaka, receiving a warm welcome from local residents.

Damascus has launched a brutal offensive against Rojava in a bid to secure Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s vision of a united, centralized Syria, despite the country’s marginalized minorities repeatedly calling for federalism.

The assault has left hundreds dead and forced Kurdish-led forces, who defeated the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, to cede swathes of territory and withdraw to Hasakah province, with the attacking Syrian forces violating ceasefires, committing human rights violations, and possibly war crimes in their offensive.

The ongoing clashes resulted in the breaching of several detention facilities in northern Syria housing veteran ISIS fighters, with a large number of detainees reported to have been released. Both sides have accused the other of the security breaches.

The SDF has for years been in charge of many camps and prisons holding ISIS affiliates and family members in Rojava, after the Kurdish-led and US-backed force fought the lion’s share of the battle and territorially defeated ISIS in Syria in 2019.

The Kurdish-led Rojava administration has repeatedly warned of “real danger” with the factions, harboring an extremist Islamist ideology, attacking the Kurdish-led forces and taking over the prisons. The SDF has also released footage purporting to show the factions releasing ISIS detainees.