DAMASCUS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Syrian internal security forces on Monday entered Hasakah city as part of a recently-reached agreement between the Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking a significant step toward easing tensions in northeastern Syria and restoring state authority to key urban centers.
State television al-Ikhbariya reported that the deployment was carried out in implementation of the agreement signed last week, which provides for a comprehensive ceasefire and a phased integration of military and administrative structures.
The ceasefire deal includes the withdrawal of forces from contact lines and the deployment of the interim government's security units into the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli to initiate security integration.
Hasakah province, which borders Türkiye and Iraq, has long been among Syria's most strategically important and sensitive regions due to its agricultural resources, oil fields and ethnic diversity. Since 2012, control there has been fragmented, with the SDF exercising de facto authority over much of the province following the defeat of the Islamic State group, while the Syrian government then retained limited security enclaves in major cities.
The latest deal follows weeks of intermittent clashes and fragile ceasefire arrangements in northern Syria, during which Damascus expanded its security presence in parts of Raqqa, Deir al-Zour, and Hasakah. ■
