Syria’s Sharaa meets SDF Commander after new truce, but Kurdish leader reaffirms push for autonomy

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held two high-level meetings in Damascus on Tuesday, first with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and later with a US delegation led by Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack and Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The talks followed heavy clashes in Aleppo on Monday night between Syrian government troops and SDF fighters, which left dozens dead on both sides. The escalation has raised concerns over the fate of a March agreement intended to integrate northeastern Syria’s civilian and military institutions into the central state.

Earlier Tuesday, Defence Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra announced an “immediate agreement with Abdi on a comprehensive ceasefire,” stressing that the Damascus meeting aimed to “strengthen the peaceful solution” and that further talks were planned for next week.

However, Kurdish media reported that Abdi reiterated his commitment to administrative independence during discussions with al-Sharaa and Abu Qasra. He praised the model of the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq and expressed doubts about fully merging SDF forces into the Syrian army under the Ministry of Defence.

“We are committed to Syrian unity, but any attempt to impose central control without guarantees will be met with a firm stance,” Abdi was quoted as saying, signalling resistance to any rollback of local self-rule without amendments ensuring Kurdish administrative rights.

Syrian outlets reported that al-Sharaa and Abdi are expected to meet again in the coming weeks as negotiations continue.

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