View source for AANES–Syria relations

===2018===
On 7 February 2018, Syrian Army soldiers backed by [[Wagner Group|Wagner's group]] mercenaries and pro-regime militias [[Battle of Khasham|carried out an attempt to attack]] coalition and Kurdish positions and capture oil fields, with artillery and armor. The attack failed as the embedded American forces in the SDF units opened fire with artillery and called in airstrikes from both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/us-strikes-pro-regime-forces-syria/index.html|title=US-led coalition strikes kill pro-regime forces in Syria|author1=Barbara Starr |author2=Ryan Browne|work=CNN|access-date=2018-02-14}}</ref> There were 220 casualties among the Syrian government forces, of which 69 were killed (15 Russians).<ref>[http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=84814 About 220 casualties and wounded of the Russian security companies, the regime forces and their allies in Coalition’s bombing and the explosion of a warehouse of the Russian protection forces east of Euphrates].</ref>

On 10 February, Syrian Army forces launched another attack on Kurdish forces, this time near the Al Tabiyeh gas field. The Syrian Army unit withdrew after a US drone strike destroyed one of their tanks, killing the crew.<ref>"U.S. airstrike destroys Russian-made tank used by pro-Syria forces", NBC News, 13 February 2018.</ref>

During the [[Turkish military operation in Afrin]], 1,000+ Syrian [[National Defence Forces (Syria)|NDF]] fighters arrived to capture villages left behind in the wake of the YPG's withdrawal and bolster the YPG against the Turkish military and Turkish-backed [[Syrian National Army]]. They were subsequently bombed and shelled by Turkish forces, killing 91+ pro-government troops.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.syriahr.com/?p=258399|title = بالتزامن مع تعامي المجتمع الدولي عن مأساتهم...أوضاع إنسانية كارثية يعيشها نحو 700 ألف مدني في منطقة عفرين التي تحاصرها القوات التركية|date = 14 March 2018}}</ref>

On 2 April, members of the pro-government Popular Resistance In Eastern Region declared that they will fight SDF and US force in Syria. On 12 April, they targeted US military bases north of Raqqa.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=26393&SEO=syria-popular-resistance-claims-attacks-against-usa-forces|title=Syria Popular Resistance Claims Attacks Against USA Forces|work=Prensa Latina|access-date=2018-04-16}}</ref>

On 29 April, [[Deir ez-Zor Governorate clashes (April 2018)|clashes occurred]] when Syrian government troops attacked SDF troops in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, resulting in the deaths of 10 SAA and 5 SDF fighters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/syria-regime-us-backed-forces-in-deadly-clashes-monitor-10187058|title=Syria regime, US-backed forces in deadly clashes: Monitor|access-date=2018-05-03|archive-date=2018-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502064408/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/syria-regime-us-backed-forces-in-deadly-clashes-monitor-10187058|url-status=dead}}</ref> American forces were present for air support, but did not directly attack the Syrian government forces, settling for firing warning shots and ceasing further action after the clashes ended later that day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/update-us-warplanes-purposely-avoided-striking-syrian-army-during-deir-ezzor-attack-only-fired-warning-shots-coalition/|title=Update: US warplanes purposely avoided striking Syrian Army during Deir Ezzor attack, only fired warning shots - Pentagon|date=30 April 2018|access-date=3 May 2018|archive-date=26 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626002942/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/update-us-warplanes-purposely-avoided-striking-syrian-army-during-deir-ezzor-attack-only-fired-warning-shots-coalition/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 31 May, President Bashar al-Assad stated in an interview with [[RT (TV network)|Russia Today]] that “The only problem left in Syria is the SDF.”<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 May 2018 |title=Syria's Assad vows to retake areas held by US-backed Kurds |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/5/31/syrias-assad-vows-to-retake-areas-held-by-us-backed-kurds |access-date=5 December 2023 |website=Al Jazeera}}</ref>

==== NES-Syria meeting ====
On 3 July, NES/SDF authorities removed several [[YPG]] flags and portraits of [[Abdullah Öcalan]] from cities and towns under their control in Northern Syria. Pro-government media reported this to be as a result of a preliminary agreement being struck between the NES/SDF and Syrian Government, in which the latter allegedly promised to include the Kurdish language as a part of the Syrian national [[curriculum]], consider military service in the YPG as analogous to service in the [[Syrian Army]] (for the purposes of veteran status and military pensions), as well as the creation of a permanent post for a Kurdish official in Syria's oil ministry. Several Kurdish officials denied before [[Kurdistan 24]] that such negotiations had taken place, stating that the removal of flags and portraits was part of "an administrative decision to organize and regulate roadside advertising" and had nothing to do with politics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/959575d0-1203-4153-95bd-7126691870ae|title=News of alleged agreement between Assad, Kurds followed by removal of YPG flags in Syrian north|last=Kurdistan24|website=Kurdistan24|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref>

On 28 July, the Kurdish-led council in northern Syria reported that it had decided to create a roadmap for a "democratic and decentralized Syria" with the Syrian Government, after reportedly meeting with Syrian government officials in Damascus at the invitation of Syrian President [[Bashar al-Assad]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/a7be0e42-6230-4a25-a4a2-9887c6b36851|title=Kurdish authorities reveal results of meetings with Syrian government|last=Kurdistan24|website=Kurdistan24|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref>

On 29 July, former PYD co-chair [[Salih Muslim]] reported that the atmosphere during the meeting with the Syrian government had been "positive and promising", adding that the government had accepted to discuss the notion of a decentralized Syria. He stated that the SDF was willing to join government offensives in Northwestern Syria and considered militant groups in Idlib to be no different than those [[Operation Olive Branch|in Afrin.]] He finished by stating that the NES did not wait for permission from international powers to start negotiations with the government, instead simply informed them that they had already started.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/54d92d6a-2f82-457f-a8da-5b5b579ef70c|title=Kurdish leader reveals details of first meeting with Syrian government|last=Kurdistan24|website=Kurdistan24|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref> Later that day, the NES returned over 44 bodies of Syrian Army servicemen killed by [[ISIL]] in 2014 to the Syrian Government.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/3f14cd6f-9309-48c6-b566-a5d22143e977|title=Syrian MP says US to leave Syria soon, Kurds should return to government|last=Kurdistan24|website=Kurdistan24|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref>

On 30 July, a [[Syrian Kurd]]ish MP and leader of the Damascus-based 'Syrian Kurds National Initiative', Omar Ose, urged the NES/SDF to enter into full negotiations (as opposed to 'talks') with the Syrian Government. He added that the two sides had managed to agree on 6 of the 10 key issues brought up during the previous two rounds of dialogue.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980508000293|title=Official Warns Kurds of US Greenlight to Ankara to Attack Eastern Euphrates|date=30 July 2019|website=en.farsnews.com|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref>

By the end of July, the two sides had agreed to set up negotiations in "stages". The first stage would cover mutually beneficial and mostly technical matters, such as the restoration of government-sponsored energy, education and health projects, as well as the re-integration of government civil registrations with those within the NES. The second would involve the restoration of government control over the border crossings with [[Iraq]], [[Turkey]] and [[Iraqi Kurdistan]], as well as the stationing of government security forces along the state borders currently under the control of the NES. The last stage would involve solving the "major issues" (such as a potential future re-integration of the NES as a whole, within the context of a 'decentralized' system) between the two sides, using the mutual confidence that would be built from the successful completion of the previous stages. The [[Syrian Democratic Council]] reportedly voted in favour of negotiations with the Syrian government to this effect. The [[U.S.]] envoy [[Brett McGurk]] was informed of the ongoing talks and reportedly did not object to the prospect of negotiations between the two sides, but suggested starting out negotiations with a focus on "restoring services".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aawsat.com/home/article/1345681/%D9%88%D9%81%D8%AF-%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%8A-%C2%AB%D9%8A%D8%AC%D8%B3%D9%91-%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%B6%C2%BB-%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF|title=وفد كردي "يجسّ نبض" دمشق: الخدمات قبل معابر الحدود|website=الشرق الأوسط|language=ar|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/will-syrian-government-strike-deal-kurds|title=Will the Syrian government strike a deal with the Kurds?|website=Middle East Eye|language=en|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref>

On 8 September 2018, clashes in Quamishli took place between the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and Syrian Arab Republic forces yet again. 10+ SAA troops and 7 Asayish fighters were killed. Many more on both sides were injured.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=102044 |title = At least 17 members of the regime's security and Asayish Forces were killed during clashes in Qameshly city • the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights|date = 2018-09-08}}</ref>

==== US announces withdrawal and beginning of new negotiations ====
During late December, following US President [[Donald Trump]]'s remarks about a complete withdrawal of all U.S. forces stationed in Syria, which placed the NES under imminent threat from a Turkish invasion,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/28/unintended-consequences-trump-decision-withdraw-syria/|title=The Unintended Consequences of Trump's Decision to Withdraw From Syria|last=Seligman|first=Lara|website=Foreign Policy|language=en|access-date=2019-05-16}}</ref> the NES entered into official dialogue with the [[Syrian Government]]. The head of the YPG officially asked the government to deploy [[Syrian Army]] troops within NES-administered areas in order to protect the region, following a threat by Turkish Defence Minister [[Hulusi Akar]] to "bury" Kurdish forces in their trenches, who added the Turkey was "intensely" preparing for a military operation against the SDF.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-threatens-to-bury-kurdish-militants-in-syria-amid-us-withdrawal/2018/12/20/06d8eb18-0460-11e9-958c-0a601226ff6b_story.html|title=Turkey threats to bury Kurdish militants in Syria amid US withdrawal|date=20 December 2018|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=16 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/world/middleeast/syria-kurds-turkey-manbij.html|title=Syria's Kurds, Feeling Betrayed by the U.S., Ask Assad Government for Protection|last=Hubbard|first=Ben|date=2018-12-28|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> A Syrian Army spokesperson stated that "all Syrians must join efforts to preserve national sovereignty and defeat all invaders". Following this announcement, SAA troops were stationed outside the SDF-held town of [[Manbij]], positioning themselves between the SDF-held areas and those under Turkish/TFSA control.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/28/abandoned-us-syrian-kurds-request-help-assad-regime/|title=Syrian Kurds request help from Assad regime after US abandons them|last=Ensor|first=Josie|date=2018-12-28|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-05-16|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20181228-syrian-army-deploys-manbij-kurds-ypg-turkey|title=Syrian army deploys around Manbij after Kurdish calls for protection from Turkey|date=2018-12-28|website=France 24|language=en|access-date=2019-05-16}}</ref> The SDF also withdrew entirely from [[Arima, Syria|Arima]], allowing the SAA to take full control of the town.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/assad-forces-enter-arimah-area-of-syrias-manbij/1348463|title=Assad forces enter Arimah area of Syria's Manbij|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=2019-05-16}}</ref>