SDF begins troop withdrawal from southern Hasakah under Syria deal
Shafaq News- Damascus
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun withdrawing troops and “heavy” equipment from parts of southern Hasakah province under the January deal with Damascus, a military source told Shafaq News on Tuesday.
The SDF units and heavy weapons are pulling back from areas south of Hasakah and along the Tal Abyad Road to pre-agreed military bases and barracks, as state security control is gradually restored under the accord.
Internal Security Forces (Asayish) are taking over checkpoints vacated by SDF units, the source added, while Syrian Interior Ministry forces are expected to deploy to key urban centers to maintain security during the transition.
On January 30, the Syrian government and the SDF agreed to halt fighting and begin a phased integration of military and administrative structures. The deal includes withdrawals from contact lines, Interior Ministry deployments to the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli, the gradual integration of local security forces to stabilize northeastern Syria, and the control of the Syrian government of the border crossings and oil fields in northeastern Syria.
Read more: Syria’s calm: An end to threat or a start of a complex security phase for Iraq?
