The Interim Government of Syria recently signed an important deal with the Kurdish rebels, amidst bloody conflict in the West Asian country. Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani), a Syrian politician and former rebel commander who is currently serving as the Interim President, and Mazloum Abdi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), signed the agreement in Damascus on March 10, 2025 in order to integrate the institutions of the semi-autonomous Kurdish Administration in the northeastern part of the country into the National Government. The local media reported that the deal could be finalised by December 2025.

As per the accord, the Interim Government would take control of northeastern Syria that has long been held by the Kurd rebels. It may be noted that the Kurdish-controlled SDF demanded autonomy in the northeastern part of the country during the reign of former President Bashar al-Assad. However, they have agreed to make a compromise with the Interim Government and not to demand autonomy. According to the agreement, the Interim Government would recognise the constitutional rights of the Kurds in that region, allowing them to study in their own language. The Kurds would also get an opportunity to join the political process. The Presidency published a statement, laying out the agreement on “the integration of all the civilian and military institutions of the northeast of Syria within the administration of the Syrian State, including border posts, airports, and the oil and gas fields”.

The Kurds, who had become socially and politically marginalised during the al-Assad Regime, declared a rebellion against the Syrian Government. Then, the US helped the SDF to counter the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and other parts of West Asia. The Kurds reportedly detained nearly 9,000 people suspected of being linked to ISIS.

On the basis of the recently-signed agreement, the Kurdish rebels would hand over those prisoners to the Interim Government. Political analysts are of the opinion that the Interim Government might induct those prisoners into the Government Forces. In that case, the Interim Government could also use them to eliminate the pro-Assad Alawites!

Deadly clashes between the Government Forces and the loyalists of former President al-Assad claimed nearly 1,000 lives on March 8-9, 2025. The majority of those killed are reported to be innocent civilians. According to the local media, the Ruling Coalition was selectively targeting the Alawites, an Arab ethnoreligious group that was fervently loyal to the al-Assad family and used to control the Military, Security Forces and Secret Police.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) mentioned in a report that nearly 745 civilians were shot at close range as the gunmen also killed another 125 government security personnel and 148 militants linked to al-Assad-affiliated armed groups. The SOHR further claimed that the Syrian Security Forces executed at least 162 Alawites in field executions in Latakia, a stronghold of al-Assad.

On March 10, 2025, the Interim Government announced that its offensive against the supporters of former President al-Assad ended. However, the bloody conflicts between the Government Forces and the Alawites put the Interim Government under tremendous diplomatic pressure. Analysts are of the opinion that the Interim Government has made an attempt to send a positive message to the international community by reaching an agreement with the Kurdish rebels in such a scenario.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das