Syrian government forces entered the north-eastern city of al-Hassakeh on Monday, under an agreement reached with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Kurdish and Syrian government sources told dpa.
According to the Kurdish sources, more than 100 Interior Ministry forces arrived in al-Hassakeh in a convoy of 16 vehicles, as part of a phased plan to transfer internal security responsibilities from the SDF’s Asayish forces to state authorities.
During the Syrian civil war, the Kurds established a self-governing administration in the north and north-east of the country, with the city of al-Hassakeh forming its administrative base.
In the wake of the upheaval in Syria, the new leadership in Damascus has set itself the goal of uniting the country after years of division, in order to establish a centralized state. An agreement to this effect has been in place since last March.
However, tensions and violent clashes recently erupted in the Kurdish-controlled areas. A new agreement was finally reached on Friday. The entry into al-Hassakeh is a first step towards implementation.
“The deployment of the Syrian Army and Public Security Forces and their safe entry into al-Hassakeh city indicates adherence to the agreement,” said a field military source in the Syrian Army.
A Syrian military source told dpa that this “the beginning of the end of the Autonomous Administration rule and a start towards a new era of unified Syria.”
There has been no official comment yet from the government or the SDF.
Al-Hassakeh was of central significance to Syria’s Kurdish population, acting as a foundation of their political authority, economic strength and security in the north-eastern part of the country, widely known as the Rojava region.