Syria Appoints Kurdish SDF Official Sipan Hamo as Assistant Defense Minister

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Syrian government has appointed senior Kurdish military official Sipan Hamo as Assistant Minister of Defense for the eastern region, following an agreement to integrate Kurdish forces into state institutions.

A Syrian defense ministry official announced the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, saying that Hamo would oversee defense affairs in eastern Syria as part of the integration process.

Hamo is a senior commander within the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and was among the key figures who negotiated with Damascus after clashes in January that saw Kurdish forces lose parts of their territory to government troops.

The agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government outlines the gradual integration of Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state. Under the deal, three SDF brigades will be incorporated into the Syrian army in the Kurdish-majority areas of Hasakah.

Another brigade is set to be formed in the enclave of Kobani, a city that became internationally known as a symbol of Kurdish resistance against the extremist group Islamic State (ISIS).

While the agreement marks a significant step toward integrating Kurdish forces into the Syrian state, it also represents a setback for Kurdish leaders who had sought to maintain the de facto autonomy they established after taking control of large parts of northern and northeastern Syria during the civil war.

As part of the deal, the Kurdish authorities were allowed to nominate candidates for several administrative positions. In February, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree appointing Noureddine Ahmed Eissa, a Kurdish politician from the city of Qamishlo, as governor of Hasakah province.