ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Syrian authorities and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) each released 300 detainees belonging to the other side in Rojava (northeastern Syria) on Thursday, in a step tied to a ceasefire and integration agreement reached earlier this year, state media said.

The Damascus-affiliated detainees were freed from SDF-run prisons in the cities of Qamishli and Hasaka and transferred to the town of al-Shaddadi, according to officials overseeing the implementation of the deal.

The releases also included 300 SDF-affiliated personnel who had been detained during recent law enforcement operations.

Ahmed al-Hilali, spokesperson for the presidential team tasked with following up on the January 29 agreement, said the releases would continue until detention facilities are cleared and the detainee file is closed.

He added that the Syrian government will assume control of SDF-run prisons in Hasaka province and plans to release all SDF members held during upcoming phases.

The planned releases are seen as a key confidence-building measure under the January 29 deal, which includes broader efforts to ease tensions and advance integration arrangements in Rojava.

The January ceasefire and integration agreement was signed after weeks of an intense military confrontation between the two sides, which was kickstarted early January after Syrian-backed factions advanced into SDF-held areas.

The areas were previously liberated and maintained by the Kurdish-led forces during the war with the Islamic State (ISIS).