US envoy to meet SDF Commander in Erbil amid de-escalation efforts
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, is expected to meet on Saturday Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander-in-Chief Gen. Mazloum Abdi in Erbil, as part of coordinated diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a wider military confrontation in Syria, the American website Al-Monitor reported on Friday.
According to the report, the planned meeting comes within a broader US initiative to contain tensions between Syrian government forces and the SDF, which maintains control over large parts of northeast Syria and serves as the main security partner of the international coalition against the Islamic State group.
Al-Monitor cited informed sources as saying that Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, played a role in facilitating the anticipated meeting. The sources did not disclose further details regarding the agenda or expected outcomes of the talks.
The outlet added that a spokesperson for Barrack’s office declined to comment on the envoy’s schedule or on the substance of the planned discussions.
Erbil has previously hosted meetings involving Syrian and international stakeholders, given its geographic proximity to northeast Syria and its political ties with Kurdish actors across the region. Officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government have on several occasions acted as intermediaries in discussions related to security coordination and cross-border stability.
If held, the meeting would mark the latest high-level contact between US officials and SDF leadership amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent further military escalation and to preserve relative stability in areas under AANES administration.
Neither the SDF nor the US mission in Syria has issued an official statement confirming the meeting as of Friday evening.