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Syrian Forces Take Control of Northeast Cities as Rojava Autonomy Ends

The settlement folds SDF fighters into the Syrian army in return for narrow cultural concessions.

Overview

  • Syrian troops entered al-Hasakah and Qamishli under daytime curfews to facilitate the handover, with no Kurdish resistance expected, while Kobane remains under Kurdish control but effectively besieged.
  • The agreement dissolves the SDF into the Syrian army, including plans for a Kurdish division and brigade under state command.
  • Damascus assumed control of the al-Hol, Roj and al-Aqtan detention sites, with nearly 25,000 people held at al-Hol.
  • CENTCOM said it moved 150 ISIS-linked detainees to Iraq and signaled possible further transfers of around 7,000 detainees of varied nationalities.
  • Human-rights groups warned the transfers risk violating non-refoulement, citing torture and death-penalty risks for returnees to Iraq.