The "March 10 Agreement" at a Crossroads: SDF Promises Integration While Damascus Warns Against Delays

Tensions between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have spiked following deadly clashes in Aleppo. SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi reaffirmed his commitment to the March 10 agreement signed with President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s government, detailing a theoretical framework to integrate the SDF into the Ministry of Defense as three divisions and two brigades. Abdi signaled that 2026 would mark a "new beginning" for his forces rather than their dissolution.

However, Damascus expressed deep skepticism. The President’s media advisor urged the SDF to move beyond rhetoric and initiate "serious steps" on the ground. This diplomatic friction escalated into direct military confrontation in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts, leading to civilian displacement and a war of words over the shelling of public hospitals. While a fragile truce holds, Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shaibani accused the SDF of "stalling," warning that any delay in military integration threatens national unity and regional stability.