After sectarian clashes in Aleppo, US, SDF, and Syrian government officials meet in Damascus

Several rounds of meetings between US and Syrian leaders over the last two days reflect a push for integrating eastern Syria with Damascus and an attempt to reduce tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and government-backed forces in the wake of recent sectarian clashes.  

On October 7, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi traveled to Damascus with a delegation to meet with the Syrian transitional government, according to reports in Syrian and Kurdish media outlets. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) noted that a meeting between Sharaa, US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, and Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), also took place on October 7. Cooper and Barrack had visited eastern Syria on October 6 to meet with Abdi, and all three men then traveled to Damascus the following day.

The meetings in Damascus happened just after clashes took place in two Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo on October 6, where local Kurdish fighters battled government-allied security forces. The battles erupted after weeks of tensions between the SDF, which is led primarily by Kurdish fighters backed by the US to fight the Islamic State, and personnel aligned with Damascus.

“President Ahmad al-Sharaa discussed with US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and Commander of US Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper the latest developments in Syria and the mechanisms for implementing the March 10 Agreement,” SANA reported about the meeting on October 7. The agreement that was reached on March 10 between Abdi and Sharaa called for the SDF to be integrated into the new government’s security forces. It was supposed to pave the way for other institutions in eastern Syria, which is governed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), to become part of the new central government.

According to SANA, the meetings in Damascus were also attended by Syria’s “Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra, and Head of the General Intelligence Directorate Hussein al-Salama.” A statement by the Syrian transitional government noted that “the meeting focused on the latest developments in Syria, ways to support the political process, and efforts to enhance security and stability.”

Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said that he met with Abdi on October 7 and announced a ceasefire between his forces and those of the SDF. “We agreed on a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts and military positions in northern and northeastern Syria. The implementation of this agreement will begin immediately,” Qasra stated.

One member of the Syrian transitional government’s forces was reported killed and several others injured in the overnight clashes in Aleppo on Monday. Syrian state media blamed the SDF for the incident, while the SDF blamed factions linked to the transitional government, and officials in eastern Syria condemned the attack on the city’s Kurdish neighborhoods. On October 7, Aleppo Governor Azzam al Gharib announced a ceasefire in the city.

The battles began just after Sharaa had returned from attending the UN General Assembly in New York City in September. Tensions had grown in Aleppo and other areas along the lines of contact between the SDF and transitional government forces. In Aleppo, the two Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh had previously been held by fighters linked to the SDF. However, those forces left in April after the March meeting between Abdi and Sharaa. Subsequently, the two Aleppo neighborhoods and the city of Afrin became Kurdish areas under the official control of the new Damascus government.

Clashes and killings of minorities in Alawite areas in Lattakia in March and the Druze stronghold of Suwayda in July have led to concerns about what may happen to the Kurds if eastern Syria is integrated under Damascus’s control. When Syria held elections for a new parliament on October 5, voting in eastern Syria and Suwayda was postponed because these areas are not controlled by the central government.

The latest meetings between SDF, US, and Syrian government officials in Damascus are widely seen as significant in Syria. “This meeting marks one of the rare high-level interactions involving the Syrian Presidency, US representatives, and SDF leadership, underlining the importance of dialogue in addressing Syria’s complex political and security situation,” North Press, which is based in eastern Syria, stated.

On Monday, Abdi commented on social media about the separate meetings he held with US officials on October 6. “It was an honor to receive US Special Envoy Ambassador Thomas Barrack and US Central Command leader Admiral Brad Cooper,” he noted. “President Donald Trump and Ambassador Barrack have played a sincere and effective role towards the Syrian people in their pursuit of resolving the crisis and achieving a better future for Syria and all Syrians.”

The meeting between US and SDF officials addressed integrating eastern Syria, as well as “ensuring the continuation of counter-ISIS efforts in the region,” North Press reported. A number of key officials from eastern Syria attended the meetings with the Americans.

“I visited northeast Syria today with CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper for substantive conversations with Mazloum Abdi,” US Envoy Barrack wrote on October 6, adding that he hoped the talks would enable unity in Syria and “a renewed effort for cooperative peace and prosperity.” He also noted on October 7 that his meetings in Damascus continued to push for “peace and prosperity.”

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).