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The Syrian government urged its former main ally the United States on Tuesday to give a four-day deadline for Kurdish-led forces to agree to integrate their last state into the central province.
In a post on social media, US Ambassador Tom Barak described integration as the biggest opportunity the Kurds now have in Syria.
He added that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)’s initial objective of countering ISIS is largely outdated and that the end of Washington’s support shows that the United States has no long-term interest in continuing its presence in Syria.
The SDF, which has lost large areas to government advances in recent days, has said it accepts a ceasefire with the Damascus government and will not take any military action unless attacked.
A Syrian government statement said it had drawn up an unification plan for Hasakah province or reached an agreement with the SDF, which has long been supported by the United States in its fight against IS, to allow government forces to enter two towns controlled by the SDF.
He said the government had announced a four-day ceasefire and had asked the SDF to submit the name of a candidate to take on the role of assistant to the defense minister in Damascus as part of the merger.
The SDF’s rapid turnover, which marks the biggest shift in Syrian control since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in 2024, is a major disaster in Syria and has raised questions about the safety of facilities holding Islamic State prisoners.