The Ministry of Defense denies the formation of an independent military entity in Afrin
The Deputy Minister of Defense for the Eastern Region, Brig. Gen. Samir Owusso, known as "Siban Hamo", denied the truth of the news circulating about the establishment of an independent military entity in the city of Afrin, north of Aleppo.
In a statement carried by Al-Ekhbariya TV late on Monday, Owusu said that "there is no truth to the rumors about the formation of a military brigade in Afrin, or the transfer of forces from al-Hasakah province with the aim of establishing an independent military body."
The Syrian military official said that the current talks are limited to opening the door to joining the ranks of the Syrian Arab Army for young Kurds of Afrin origins and residents of Hasakah, on an individual voluntary basis, according to him.
This track falls within the existing military formations of the Syrian Arab Army, and is not linked to the formation of any entity or brigade of their own, he said.
28 SDF officers join the Ministry of Defense
A military source in the SDF revealed last March that 28 officers joined the Military College of the Ministry of Defense in Damascus, as part of the first phase of the implementation of the military integration program agreed between the Syrian government and the SDF.
This step came within the procedures for the implementation of the January 29 agreement, which stipulates the integration of the military and civilian cadres of the "SDF" in state institutions, as a new batch of officers is preparing to join the Ministry of Defense in the near future.
The source explained at the time that the officers will undergo "a training course that extends from six months to a full year, during which they will be prepared to lead brigades and battalions within the Syrian army formations, provided that after graduation they will receive military ranks that include the rank of brigadier general and colonel," stressing that the SDF will send additional batches later for training as company commanders.
3 Military Brigades in Al-Hasakah Governorate
Last March, the Ministry of Defense decided to deploy 3 new brigades in Al-Hasakah province, affiliated with the 60th Division deployed in Al-Hasakah and Aleppo provinces, and these brigades included elements of the "SDF" after completing the integration and training procedures.
In mid-January, the Syrian army took control of areas in northeastern Syria that were under the control of the SDF, before the latter withdrew to cities in al-Hasakah province.
This was followed by the announcement by the Syrian government of an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on a ceasefire, as part of a comprehensive agreement that stipulated the merger of the civil, military and security institutions of the so-called "Autonomous Administration" in the northeast of the country with the institutions of the Syrian government, and the entry of the security forces into the centers of the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli, and the state handed over all institutions, crossings, ports and prisons, with the formation of a presidential delegation to supervise the implementation of the agreement.