A convoy of Syrian government forces was deployed toward Hasakah city, Syrian media reported, as Damascus continues efforts to consolidate state control over the country’s north-east, Syrian media Halab Today TV reported.
The reported movement comes amid a broader process to integrate Kurdish-administered areas and security structures into Syria’s central government following an agreement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
The Syrian state news agency Sana had also earlier reported that Internal Security Forces moved towards Hasakah for implementation of the agreement. Syria’s Interior Ministry said the troops were deploying “to undertake the security role, safeguard individuals and properties and maintain the situation,” as part of the deal.
The agreement demands a ceasefire and staged merger of military and administrative bodies to the Syrian state. The government security forces entered Hasakah in February for the first time since the war broke out, officials said at the time it was the first phase in the return of government control.
The latest reported deployment comes as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have moved towards full integration with the Syrian state. The SDF announced its dissolution in August after completing a merger with the Syrian army, according to the Associated Press.
Details about the size of the latest convoy and its precise destination were not immediately available.
