ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A representative of northeast Syria’s administration (Rojava) in the United States says ongoing negotiations with Damascus include an understanding that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will continue operating in reduced units across the region rather than disband entirely.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Thursday that they have arrested several members of the Islamic State (ISIS), including a bomb-maker linked to multiple attacks, during a joint security operation with the US-led international coalition.

Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo continue to face severe humanitarian challenges as they remain under siege imposed by Damascus and affiliated forces, local officials warned on Sunday.

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) on Thursday officially reaffirmed its strategic partnership with the United States. The statement comes as top Kurdish officials expressed gratitude for the robust support voiced by influential US senators following the recent military escalation in Aleppo and growing threats to Kurdish-held territories.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday held a phone call with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to discuss de-escalation in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the transfer of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees to Iraq.