Senior DAARNES official: Deal reached between local councils in Holeb (Aleppo) and Transitional Government

BETH ZALIN, North and East Syria — A senior official from the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES) announced that the councils representing the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Holeb (Aleppo) have reached an agreement with the Syrian Transitional Government (STG) in Daramsuq (Damascus).

Badran Jia Kurd, a senior adviser to DAARNES, described the agreement as “a significant step toward strengthening stability and coexistence” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Key Points of Agreement

According to Jia Kurd, the agreement preserves the unique status of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, ensuring their security, administration, services, culture, and political autonomy while coordinating with relevant service and security institutions in Holeb (Aleppo). Special mechanisms will be established to implement these terms.

The deal also stipulates that internal security forces and existing checkpoints will remain unchanged in both neighborhoods. These forces will operate under a defined mechanism with the STG’s Ministry of Interior while continuing to protect local residents without interference from other factions or armed groups.

Furthermore, the parties have agreed to exchange all prisoners and maintain the current education system in the two neighborhoods until a broader decision is reached for all of North and East Syria, Jia Kurd added. He also warned that the STG’s authorities in Holeb would be held responsible for any threats to the neighborhoods and emphasized joint efforts to mitigate risks.

Prisoner Exchange and Security Arrangements

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that an initial agreement has been reached between the new Syrian transitional administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), outlining several key provisions.

Among them, the deal reportedly includes the integration of local Internal Security Forces into the STG’s General Security Forces while retaining the same personnel.

Additionally, the STG has agreed to release 170 SDF detainees and return the bodies of fallen fighters. In exchange, the SDF will release 400 prisoners and hand over the remains of fighters from opposition factions.