The Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, on Tuesday called for the establishment of an autonomous region in Syria, according to Sky News Arabia’s correspondent.

During a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar’a on Tuesday, Abdi raised the level of Kurdish demands, calling for the creation of an autonomous region similar to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Abdi also affirmed his rejection of fully integrating SDF forces into the Syrian army, saying they could remain “a part of the army without full integration.”

Coinciding with the meeting, the Syrian Minister of Defense announced that an agreement had been reached with the SDF commander for an immediate ceasefire in northern and eastern Syria, following recent clashes in Aleppo.