SDF to reorganize into four brigades under deal with Syrian government

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are redistributing their fighters within a new military structure as part of a ceasefire deal with the Syrian government, following clashes last month which saw government forces take most of the territory once held by the SDF.

Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the SDF, told the Iraq-based Kurdistan 24 website on Friday that SDF forces will reorganise into four brigades, one to be based around the Kurdish-majority town of Kobane (also known as Ain Al-Arab) in Syria’s Aleppo province, and three to be stationed in the Jazira region of northeastern Syria.

He explained that the Hasakah Brigade will cover the areas of Darbasiyah and Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain), while the Qamishli Brigade will be responsible for the areas of Amuda, Qamishli, Tel Brak, and Tel Hamis. Meanwhile, the Derik Brigade will extend from the city of Derik (also known as Malikiya) to Tel Kocher.

On the ground, SDF military forces withdrew from positions to the south of the city of Qamishl on Friday, handing them over to Asayish security forces, which are associated with the SDF and the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of Northeastern Syria (DAANES).

This is part of a repositioning agreed upon with the Syrian government.

The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the SDF is scheduled to withdraw its fighters and vehicles from contact points with Syrian government military forces, while the latter will carry out a similar withdrawal from their side, to be followed by the deployment of government security forces.

In March 2025, the SDF agreed to integrate its forces and institutions with those of the Syrian government but this was repeatedly stalled and the agreement broke down last January, with fighting breaking out around two SDF-held areas in Aleppo and spreading to northeastern Syria.

Most of the territory once held by the SDF was Arab-majority and Syrian government forces were able to capture it relatively quickly last month, leaving the SDF in control of Qamishli, Hasakeh, Kobane, and surrounding areas.

Under the new ceasefire agreement signed on January 18, the SDF once again agreed to integrate its forces into the Syrian government, while government security forces have entered SDF-held towns.

The SDF also agreed to “expel non-Syrian leaders and members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from Syria” and “integrate all civil institutions in Hasakah province into state institutions and structures.”

Turkey, a key backer of the current Syrian government, has long accused the SDF of being a front for the PKK, which has fought for independence or autonomy for Turkey’s Kurdish minority since the 1980s.