The leader of "SDF" demands an autonomous region in Syria and confirms the refusal to fully integrate his forces into the Syrian army

On Tuesday, Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), called for the establishment of an autonomous region in northern and eastern Syria, similar to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, during a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara, according to a Sky News Arabia correspondent.

During the meeting, Abdi raised the ceiling of Kurdish demands, confirming that his forces refuse to fully integrate into the Syrian army, with the possibility of "remaining a part of it without losing their organizational independence."

Simultaneously with the meeting, the Syrian Minister of Defense announced reaching an agreement for an immediate ceasefire in northern and eastern Syria, following violent clashes in the city of Aleppo that resulted in casualties and injuries.

Tensions erupted on Monday evening in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, which are predominantly Kurdish, where government forces and SDF exchanged accusations of mutual shelling, before a truce was reached early Tuesday.

This comes after months of a preliminary agreement signed in March between the Syrian authorities and Kurdish forces, which stipulates the integration of civil and military institutions of the autonomous administration into the institutions of the Syrian state, but political and military disagreements have hindered the implementation of the agreement so far.

In a related context, the U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Brack, announced a meeting with Abdi that included "important discussions" focused on supporting political integration, maintaining the unity of Syrian territory, ensuring a safe environment for all components, along with continuing joint efforts to combat ISIS in the region.