Members of the Syrian security forces stand guard outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria, Jan. 23, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

The Syrian government hopes to hold a new round of talks with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, possibly later on Tuesday, to spell out how the force would merge into the central state, a senior Syrian government official said.

Syria‘s government and the SDF have been locked in a year-long dispute over whether and how Kurdish civilian and military institutions, which have operated autonomously in northeast Syria for a decade, would integrate into the Damascus-based government.

After a deadline to merge passed at the end of 2025 with little progress, Syrian troops seized swathes of northern and eastern territory from the SDF in a rapid turn of events that has consolidated Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule.

The two sides signed a sweeping integration deal on Jan. 18 but have yet to hammer out the details. The ceasefire was extended on Saturday until Feb. 8.

The Syrian official said that would be the aim of the upcoming meeting, which he said would be held “with US support.”

The US, Britain, France, and Germany on Tuesday welcomed the 15-day extension of the ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, and urged all parties to strictly adhere to the agreement.

“We call upon all parties to strictly adhere to the ceasefire and to exercise their utmost restraint. We urge all external parties to join us in pursuit of peace and de-escalation of violence,” the four nations said in a joint statement.

They also urged all parties to swiftly agree to a permanent ceasefire.

Washington has been engaged in shuttle diplomacy to reach a lasting ceasefire and political resolution between the SDF – once its top ally in Syria – and Sharaa, now its favored partner in the country.

The official declined to say where exactly the meeting would take place but said it would be inside Syria and likely in a neutral location – neither Damascus nor the remaining Kurdish-held cities of the northeast.

An SDF spokesperson declined to comment when asked about the planned meeting.

The specter of resumed fighting between the two sides still looms over the talks, with Syrian government troops amassed around a cluster of Kurdish-held cities in the north, where Kurdish fighters are reinforcing their defensive lines.