Syria president, SDF leader hold phone call as gov’t forces advance

An official with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria says Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Chief of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi have talked on the phone.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that “things are positive”.

The recent government offensive following a breakdown in efforts to integrate the SDF into the army has seen government forces and local tribes seize control of large areas of northeastern Syria.

The call follows a March 10, 2025, agreement between al-Sharaa and Abdi to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state institutions, transfer control of border crossings, airports, oil fields, and establish a ceasefire — with full merger targeted by end-2025. Implementation stalled, leading to mutual accusations of violations.

Tensions escalated in early January 2026 with clashes in Aleppo (Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods), forcing SDF withdrawals from the city by January 11 under US-brokered mediation. On January 16–17, President al-Sharaa issued a decree recognising Kurdish as a national language, restoring citizenship to many Kurds, and declaring Nowruz an official holiday — seen as a goodwill gesture, though Kurds viewed it as insufficient.

Despite this, government forces (Syrian Arab Army) launched a rapid offensive, seizing towns like Deir Hafer, Maskanah, and strategically important Tabqa (including the Euphrates dam) on January 17–18, advancing toward Raqqa. They captured energy sites and multiple villages east of Aleppo, often with local Arab tribes' support. The SDF accused the army of breaching withdrawal terms by pushing beyond agreed areas (e.g., into Thawra oil field), while Damascus claimed operations to restore sovereignty.

By Khagan Isayev