Syria appoints Kurdish YPG commander deputy defence minister

By Feras Dalatey

March 10 (Reuters) - Syria's defence ministry said on Tuesday that Sipan Hamo, commander of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), had been appointed deputy defence minister for the country's eastern territories.

The move is seen as part of implementing a U.S.-brokered integration agreement signed on January 29 between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The YPG formed the core of the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controlled roughly a third of Syrian territory before government forces under Sharaa launched a lightning offensive in January, taking swathes of the areas they held.

Hamo played a key role in negotiations with the Syrian government over the future of the SDF and its integration into the new Syrian army following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024.

In a mid-January interview with Reuters, Hamo said the Kurds were not seeking secession and emphasised that they saw their future within Syria.