Damascus says new Syrian army to include Kurdish forces

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) on Sunday told Saudi media that the country’s defense ministry will also include Kurdish forces.

“The Syrian Ministry of Defense will include Kurdish forces in its ranks,” Al-Hadath cited him as saying, in an interview set to be aired later on Sunday. 

It is not clear if Sharaa elaborated on the issue.

Sharaa also called Kurds an “integral part” of Syrian society but stressed that his administration will not allow the country to become a “launchpad” for Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attacks. 

“We are negotiating with the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces] to resolve the crisis in northeast Syria,” he said. 

The Kurdish-led SDF, who control most of the northeast (Rojava), have expressed their readiness to be merged into Syria’s new security apparatus.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi told Asharq Al-Awsat in a recent interview that they are willing to merge the SDF into the new Syrian army if both sides agree on a “suitable formula through negotiations.”

A coalition of rebel groups spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8. They have announced the dissolution of their affiliated armed groups and formed a transitional government that is expected to expire in March. 

The HTS has not clashed with the US-backed SDF, but the new officials in Damascus and Sharaa have declared that weapons should only be in the hands of the state and they will not tolerate the existence of any independent armed group. 

Stefan Schneck, Germany’s envoy to Syria, told Rudaw on Thursday that Berlin is ready to help Syria’s new rulers establish a unified security force that includes the SDF.