Syria’s transitional government—which toppled the Assad regime last year—signed a landmark deal yesterday with a US-backed Kurdish-led militia that controls the country's northeast. The agreement, signed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces leader Mazloum Abdi, consolidates northeastern Syria under central government control, including border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, airports, prisons, and vital oil and gas fields.
The breakthrough is a step toward unifying the country after years of civil war and sectarian divisions. It is also part of the government's effort to integrate all armed groups formed during the nearly 14-year conflict. The agreement guarantees Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, which were long suppressed under the Assad regime; Syrian Kurds account for roughly 10% of the country's population. The Syrian Democratic Forces have been the main US partner in fighting the Islamic State.
The deal comes amid violent unrest in Syria's coastal regions that has killed more than 1,000 people since last week. See our previous write-up here.
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