Syria's Kurds have established an autonomous region during seven years of war, but the abrupt decision by their US ally to withdraw has thrown their political future into doubt.
Kurdish-led forces control a large swathe of the country's north and northeast, some of it seized from the ISIS at the cost of heavy losses with backing from the US-led coalition.
The fight against IS has allowed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to expand that territory to include the Euphrates Valley city of Raqa, as well as key oil and gas fields in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, AFP reported.
On December 19, President Donald Trump took many even among his own supporters by surprise with the announcement of a full US troop withdrawal from Syria.
Trump's troop withdrawal announcement prompted the Kurds to seek a new alliance with the Damascus regime to protect them from a long-threatened attack by neighbouring Turkey.
Ankara views the Kurdish fighters of the SDF as "terrorists."
Analysts foresee a possible carving up of the northeast between Russia and Turkey.
Today, the regime holds almost two-thirds of Syria and has pledged to eventually return the northeast to government control.
Last week, Damascus deployed troops in the northern countryside to stem off any Turkish-led attack on the flashpoint SDF-held city of Manbij, upon the Kurd's request.
On Wednesday, the army said 400 Kurdish fighters had retreated from areas around the Arab-majority city, according to AFP.
On Monday, pro-government newspaper Al-Watan cited an Arab diplomat in Moscow as saying the northern city would revert to "full state supervision".
The source also said Turkey, Russia and fellow regime ally Iran would discuss "a return of state institutions" to areas further east, beyond the Euphrates River, at a meeting expected at the start of the year. Balanche said the regime would eventually resume full control of the main northeastern cities of Hasakeh and Qamishli.
It would also retake the Arab-majority city of Raqa, as well as the oil fields of Deir Ezzor.
Turkey has led two previous incursions across the border, the most recent of which saw its Syrian proxies seize the northwestern enclave of Afrin from Kurdish forces last year.
Balanche predicted Turkish troops and their allies would eventually push 20 to 40 kilometres (12 to 24 miles) into Syria.
After decades of marginalisation, Syria's Kurds have always sought to set up their own institutions in areas they control.
With the Kurds now set to see their US ally withdraw from Syria, Wimmen said the Kurdswere "certain to lose a lot".
"The question is whether the loss will be total or whether some of it can be salvaged... through a deal with the regime, guaranteed by Russia," he said, AFP reported.
But "given the track record of the regime and its negotiation positions so far... there is little reason for optimism."
