BEIRUT: Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has held talks with delegates of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an official said on Tuesday, adding that they had been “positive”.

“A meeting took place on Monday between senior officials of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Jolani in Damascus,” the official said, using Sharaa’s nom de guerre.

But as diplomatic efforts continue, Turkish-backed fighters killed three pro-Kurdish security personnel in Aleppo early Tuesday in the first such attack in Syria’s second city since rebels seized power in early December, a war monitor said.

“A checkpoint belonging to the (Kurdish-led) Internal Security Forces in the Kurdish-majority Ashrafieh neighbourhood was attacked by Turkish-backed gunmen and explosive-laden drones, killing three security personnel and critically wounding seven,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“This is the first attack of its kind in the area since the fall of the (Bashar al-Assad) regime,” the Britain-based monitor added.

Damascus authorities name HTS military chief as transitional defence minister

Moreover, Syrian authorities have appointed Maysa Sabreen as interim central bank governor, a bank official said on Tuesday, the first time a woman heads the financial establishment.

“We received an internal circular yesterday assigning Dr Maysa Sabreen to run the Central Bank of Syria in a caretaker capacity,” he said.

Syria’s new authorities also announced on Tuesday that the military chief of the religious group, Abu Qasra, 41, had been appointed defence minister in the transitional government.

“The General Command announces the nomination of General Murhaf Abu Qasra as defence minister in the new government of the Syrian Arab Republic,” said a statement carried by the official news agency SANA.

Monday’s talks were Sharaa’s first with Kurdish commanders since his fighters overthrew longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad in early December and come as the SDF is locked in fighting with Turkish-backed factions in northern Syria.

The official said it was a “preliminary meeting to lay the foundations for future dialogue,” adding that both sides had agreed “to continue these meetings to reach future understandings”.

He described the meeting as “positive” and said there would be “intensifying dialogue and meetings in the future”.

On Sunday, Sharaa told Al Arabiya TV that the Kurdish-led forces should be integrated into the new national army.

“Weapons must be in the hands of the state alone. Whoever is armed and qualified to join the defence ministry, we will welcome them,” he said.

“Under these terms and conditions, we will open a negotiations dialogue with the SDF… to perhaps find an appropriate solution.”

Abu Qasra, 41, a former agronomist, led the armed wing of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for five years.

On Sunday, Abu Qasra was given the rank of general in a decree from HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, now Syria’s de facto leader.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2025