Seizures of a string of cities in northeastern Syria from Kurdish forces procured significant advantages for the government in Damascus, but they come with risks in the fight against remnants of the Islamic State, or ISIS, in the captured territories.

The Syrian army’s advances in areas held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in early January resulted in a gradual transfer of control in the critical areas of Raqqa, once the de facto capital of ISIS, and Deir ez-Zor, the site of most of Syria’s oil reserves. In this regard, responsibility for combating ISIS — which the SDF had shouldered for more than eight years — has effectively now been assumed by the Syrian army. 

As the government headed by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa moves to reassert central authority, it has sought to dismantle parallel military structures, including the SDF, and return territory held by them to state control. As part of a ceasefire deal reached on Friday, the SDF and Damascus agreed to the Kurdish forces' phased integration, according to identical statements issued by the two sides. 

The shift by the United States away from support for the SDF and toward increased engagement with Sharaa, in addition to lifting sanctions against Syria, points to Washington now relying more on Damascus in the fight against ISIS. In this confrontation, Damascus has some serious disadvantages as well as a number of points in its favor.