Russian Guarantees Facilitate Implementation of Daraa Truce in S. Syria

Russian military police and a Syrian regime security committee met with members of the central negotiations committee in the southern Daraa city on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Russian military police and a Syrian regime security committee met with members of the central negotiations committee in the southern Daraa city on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Russian Guarantees Facilitate Implementation of Daraa Truce in S. Syria

Russian military police and a Syrian regime security committee met with members of the central negotiations committee in the southern Daraa city on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Russian military police and a Syrian regime security committee met with members of the central negotiations committee in the southern Daraa city on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Russian military police and a Syrian regime security committee met with members of the central negotiations committee in the southern Daraa city on Monday to ensure the implementation of the truce there.

The central committee and residents agreed to resume the implementation of the true after its sudden collapse on September 1.

The meeting was held after a Russian military delegation, headed by the deputy defense minister and commander of Russian forces in Syria, made a surprise visit to Daraa on Sunday.

A source from the negotiations committee told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Russian delegation held a series of meetings with all negotiating parties.

The Russian deputy defense minister ordered regime forces to cease the attacks on Daraa al-Balad. He gave the central committee until Monday morning to agree to truce that was announced last week and implement its stipulations with the guarantee of Russian forces.

Failure to agree to the truce would force the army, with Russian support, to resort to a military operation in Daraa al-Balad to resolve the crisis.

The source said the negotiations committee agreed to return to the talks and work with Russian officials over the required elements that would ensure the establishment of nine military posts in Daraa al-Balad.

Each point would include 15-20 personnel that are chosen by the military security branch in Daraa. Light weapons would be handed over and security forces would be allowed into Daraa al-Balad and to search houses, escorted by Russian military police and senior Daraa officials. The identities of residents would be verified to ensure that no outsiders are in the area and root out defectors and others who have shirked military conscription.

Buses would be brought in to transport people who are opposed to the settlement so that they can be displaced to other regions in Syria.

All displays of opposition to the regime would be removed, while Daraa al-Balad, al-Sad and the al-Moukhayyam areas would be declared safe zones that are devoid of weapons.

Russian officials pledged that the forces besieging Daraa al-Balad would withdraw and return to their bases. All roads leading to the city would be reopened after the direct implementation of the truce.



Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

The Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, has signed a deal agreeing to integrate into Syria's new state institutions, the Syrian presidency said on Monday.

The deal, which included a complete cessation of hostilities, was signed by interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF's commander, Mazloum Abdi.

Under the deal, whose text was posted online by the presidency, all civilian and military institutions in northeast Syria will be integrated within the state, which will thus take over control of borders, airports and oil and gas fields.

The SDF agrees to support the government in combating remnants of deposed president Bashar al-Assad's regime, and any threats to Syria's security and unity.

Since Assad was overthrown by Sharaa's Islamist forces in December, groups backed by Türkiye, one of Sharaa's main supporters, have clashed with the SDF, the main ally in a US coalition against ISIS militants in Syria.

The SDF is spearheaded by the YPG militia, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.

Türkiye regards the PKK, YPG and SDF as terrorist groups, and Sharaa's new Damascus administration had been pressing the SDF to merge into newly-minted state security forces.

Abdi had previously expressed a willingness for his forces to be part of the new defense ministry, but said they should join as a bloc rather than individuals, an idea that was rejected by the new government.

The US and Türkiye’s Western allies list the PKK as a terrorist group, but not the YPG or the SDF.