Syrian Government Troops Advance on Kurdish-Held Hasakah Under Fragile U.S.-Brokered Truce
HASAKAH, Syria, Feb 2 — Syrian government security forces began a carefully monitored deployment toward the Kurdish-controlled city of Hasakah in northeast Syria on Monday, according to Reuters witnesses, marking the first tangible step in a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal announced late last week.
The agreement, finalized on Friday, is designed to halt renewed hostilities between the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It comes after government troops reclaimed significant territories in eastern and northern Syria from the SDF in January, shifting the strategic balance in the region.
In the early afternoon, a convoy of more than 20 vehicles belonging to the Syrian Interior Ministry was seen advancing from the outskirts toward the city center of Hasakah, a key urban hub in the resource-rich Jazira region. The move signals the beginning of a complex reintegration process outlined in the ceasefire, which envisions the gradual administrative merger of Kurdish-run regions with the central government in Damascus.
Analysts suggest the deployment is a test of the truce's durability. While it may prevent immediate large-scale combat, underlying tensions over local autonomy, resource control, and the future role of Kurdish security units remain largely unresolved. The presence of U.S. diplomatic backing provides a veneer of international oversight, but long-term stability is far from assured.
(Reporting by Khalil Ashawi; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
Voices & Perspectives
Maya Rosenberg, Security Analyst at the Regional Policy Institute: "This is a procedural move, not a political solution. The convoy's movement fulfills a clause in the agreement, but the core issues—power-sharing, oil revenues, the status of the SDF—are being deferred. This is a pause, not a peace."
James Foley, Former Diplomat: "The U.S. involvement here is crucial but delicate. It's a bid to prevent a total collapse of the Kurdish administration while acknowledging Damascus's regained leverage. The next weeks will show if this can evolve beyond a mere military redeployment into a sustainable political dialogue."
Anya Petrova, Independent Journalist covering Syria: "What a farce. This 'deal' simply legitimizes the government's January land-grab under international cover. The Kurds are being forced to hand over their hard-won autonomy piece by piece. Washington has brokered a surrender, not a ceasefire."
Dr. Karim Al-Fadel, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies: "The immediate violence may subside, but integrating Hasakah will be immensely challenging. The city has been under Kurdish civil governance for years. The real test is whether Damascus will offer meaningful inclusion or merely impose its authority, sowing the seeds for the next conflict."