The Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, have begun a gradual and organized withdrawal from the town of al-Shuyoukh, located west of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, in northern Syria, in line with the terms of an agreement signed with the Syrian government last January.
The move marks a new step in the ongoing security and military understandings between the two sides in northeastern Syria.
Hawar News Agency, which is close to the SDF, reported on Monday, March 2, that the withdrawal process had started toward the group’s military barracks. The agency said the step comes “within the framework of implementing the mutual commitments stipulated in the agreement,” which aims to reorganize the security and military situation in the area and enhance stability.
According to the agency, the Internal Security Forces, Asayish, affiliated with the SDF, are set to assume the duties of the withdrawing forces in the town. This indicates a shift from direct military presence to local security administration, as part of a redeployment formula agreed upon with the Syrian government.
Al-Shuyoukh: Years of Controversy
Al-Shuyoukh holds a strategic position west of Kobani and was previously the site of military tensions and battles between the SDF and the Islamic State group when the latter was active in the region.
The town has remained a point of controversy for years. Displaced residents and human rights organizations have accused the SDF of implementing displacement policies, particularly targeting Arab residents. Thousands of inhabitants were displaced after the SDF took control of the town in mid-2015 and were reportedly prevented from returning to their homes for security reasons or on accusations of supporting the Islamic State group.
Some testimonies indicate that the SDF allowed residents from certain ethnic backgrounds to return or visit their areas, while continuing to prevent others from doing so, prompting accusations of demographic engineering and discriminatory policies.
Broader Understandings and Redeployment
The withdrawal from al-Shuyoukh comes within the context of broader understandings between the SDF and the Syrian government, which have already been applied in other parts of northeastern Syria, particularly in al-Hasakah governorate.
In recent weeks, mutual withdrawals and redeployments have taken place from contact lines and sensitive military positions. On February 10, informed sources within the SDF told Enab Baladi’s correspondent that both sides had withdrawn from their positions at the southern entrance of al-Hasakah city, moving toward previously agreed points under a new deployment plan.
According to those sources, the plan included the SDF’s withdrawal from the outskirts of the city toward its barracks, while government security forces and the SDF-affiliated Asayish assumed security duties along vital roads. These include the al-Hasakah–Raqqa road, locally known as the “White Road,” and the al-Hasakah–al-Shaddadi road, extending up to 15 kilometers from the city’s boundaries.
In return, Syrian government forces withdrew toward al-Shaddadi area in southern al-Hasakah countryside, in a step described as part of redistributing military positions and reducing direct friction between the two sides.
Later that month, areas surrounding Qamishli also witnessed mutual withdrawals from contact lines, reflecting a relatively accelerated implementation of the military agreement’s provisions.
A Testable Path
Despite the continued steps of withdrawal and redeployment, some details of the agreement remain undisclosed. This leaves open questions regarding implementation mechanisms in the medium and long term, and the extent to which both sides will adhere to all provisions, particularly in areas not yet included in the redeployment process.
The next phase will depend on the ability of both parties to manage this path without returning to tension, amid the complex landscape in northeastern Syria and the interplay of local and regional factors shaping developments on the ground.
SDF Withdraws from al-Shuyoukh, West of Kobani Enab Baladi.
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