Shifting Loyalties: The Kurdish Forces Retreat in Syria

Tue Feb 03 2026 15:55:38 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A major shift in power dynamics as the Syrian government reclaims territory from Kurdish-led forces, altering the future of Syria's political landscape and Kurdish autonomy.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has made significant territorial gains in northeastern Syria, reclaiming areas previously controlled by Kurdish-led forces. The rapid offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), once supported by Washington, marks a dramatic shift in control since the end of the civil war. This article explores the implications of these developments on Kurdish autonomy and Syrian unity.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has made significant advances in his efforts to unify a deeply fractured Syria, reclaiming large swathes of territory in the north-east that had been under the control of a Kurdish-led militia alliance for more than a decade. What happens next will be a test for a government that has tried to assert its authority over the whole country.

The gains by government forces in a lightning offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) marked the biggest change of control in Syria since Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending the 13-year civil war. Before this month's push, nearly a third of Syria's territory was controlled by the Kurds, who enjoyed American support after helping a US-led coalition defeat the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in the last decade. There, they ran an enclave with its own government and institutions, with the SDF being its military arm.

On Sunday, after suffering stunning territorial losses, the SDF agreed on a 14-point deal that reversed almost all concessions it had gained from the government in earlier negotiations. Crucially, its members are expected to join the Syrian army and interior ministry as individuals - and not as separate units, as it had demanded - while the control of oil and gas fields, important for Syria's economic recovery, will be transferred to the government. SDF-run prisons and camps holding thousands of IS detainees and family members are also being brought under Damascus's control.

Fighting, however, erupted again. So far, the areas reclaimed by government forces have been mainly Arab, where locals had resentments against the SDF. But the troops continued to move towards Kurdish-majority areas, raising the prospect of deadly clashes, and reportedly angering Washington. On Tuesday, Sharaa's government suddenly announced a ceasefire, giving the SDF four days to present a detailed plan for the integration of areas under its control into the state.

For the Kurds, the losses are a fatal blow to the aspirations of preserving their autonomy, with the US position being seen as a betrayal. The dramatic changes empower Sharaa but are likely to renew calls for him to decentralize authority, with critics saying key posts have been limited to his allies. It could also indicate what he may be planning to do in other areas of the country, including those held by the Druze, who demand autonomy.