Syrian regime signs integration deal with Kurdish SDF

The new Syrian regime under Ahmed al-Sharaa signed an agreement on Monday with the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate the group, which holds power in much of the northeastern part of the country, into the state.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and al-Sharaa were pictured shaking hands, with the deal stipulating the merger of the two in a significant landmark.

Al-Sharaa and Abdi agreed that the new Syria would include political representation of all Syrians, recognize of Kurdish rights, allow the return displaced persons to their homes, integrate civil and military institutions, preserve a nationwide ceasefire, unite against foreign and domestic threats, and build a timeline to implement the deal by the end of the year.

The announcement prompted celebrations throughout Syria, with the promise of a new, inclusive country. Fireworks and gunfire were heard throughout major cities, which was deadly in some cases. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that dozens were wounded and several killed by errant bullets.

This comes after violence erupted in the western coast area of the country, a stronghold of the Alawite community that former president Bashar al-Assad belongs to. More than 1,300 people were killed in the clashes between militias loyal to Assad and the new regime forces, with Islamists allied with al-Sharaa blamed for massacring hundreds of civilians.