DAMASCUS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the interim government's forces exchanged prisoners Monday in the northern province of Aleppo under heightened security measures, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The exchange happened at a designated point on the outskirts of Aleppo following intensive negotiations between representatives of both sides, the Britain-based monitoring group reported.
The latest development builds on a preliminary agreement implemented on April 3, when the interim Syrian government and the council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Al-Ashrafiya neighborhoods, under SDF supervision, exchanged 146 prisoners requested by the SDF for 97 Damascus-affiliated personnel in an initial phase.
The agreement between the Sheikh Maqsoud and Al-Ashrafiya neighborhood councils and the Damascus authorities consists of 14 provisions, including a mutual clearing of detainees held by both parties.
On April 1, the Observatory revealed that it had obtained details of the preliminary deal, which also stipulated the transformation of Kurdish fighters in the two neighborhoods into General Security Forces.
The agreement comes in the wake of a recent announcement by Syria's defense authorities regarding the planned integration of various armed units into the national defense structure -- an effort seen as part of Damascus's broader strategy to assert centralized control and stabilize restive regions. ■
