On 25 February 2017, the Assyrian Democratic Party agreed to join the Syrian Democratic Council, and the YPG agreed to hand over security in the Assyrian towns along the Khabur River to the Khabour Guards and Nattoreh which joined the Syrian Democratic Forces.[12][13] On 13 April, PYD forces officially handed over the Khabur valley's villages to the Khabour Guards and Nattoreh, though the YPG kept a military base near Tell Tamer.[14] On the same day, the second conference of the SDC took place in al-Malikiyah and Riad Darar was elected as the co-president of the SDC, replacing Haytham Manna, alongside Îlham Ehmed, who was re-elected.[15]