Twenty-eight members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are set to receive training at a military academy in Damascus, marking a significant step under the integration agreement with the Syrian authorities, local media reported on March 23.
The group is expected to be dispatched to the Syrian capital in the coming days for formal military instruction.
The initiative represents the first tangible move in military coordination between the SDF and Syria’s Defense Ministry.
It follows earlier clashes this year in which the SDF lost swathes of territory to government forces, after which both sides reached a deal to gradually integrate the SDF’s military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.
Under the deal, Syrian security forces would deploy to key SDF-held areas, including Haseke and Qamishli, while integration of SDF-led armed elements into state security institutions would be accelerated.
Damascus also appointed senior Kurdish commander Sipan Hamo as a regional assistant defense minister, and the agreement envisages the creation of a division composed of three SDF brigades, alongside the faster incorporation of SDF fighters into Syrian security forces.
Of the SDF militants selected for training, 18 are from the Jazira region and 10 from Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani. They will form the first SDF contingent to head to Damascus for instruction.
Following a training period expected to last between six months and one year, the officers are slated to assume brigade- and battalion-level command roles. Those who complete the program will be awarded formal Syrian army ranks, including major general and colonel.
According to Erbil-based Rudaw TV, citing a military source, the officers will make up the command structure of the new “integrated brigades” envisioned under the Jan. 29 agreement.
