The Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), taking almost complete control of the country, according to Syrian state media.
The ceasefire ends nearly two weeks of fighting and is part of a broader 14-point agreement that will see the SDF integrated into Syria’s military and state institutions.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over three eastern and northern governorates: al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.
This followed a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack hailed the deal as a step toward a “unified Syria.”
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was scheduled to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions, with his visit postponed until Monday, al-Sharaa said.
In a televised speech, Abdi confirmed the meeting and said he would share more details about the deal with Syria’s Kurds after returning from the capital.
Speaking on Kurdish TV channel Ronahi, he said the agreement he reached with Damascus included a ceasefire to avoid a wider war, stressing that the fighting had been “imposed” on the SDF.
Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during the Syrian civil war nearly a decade ago with strong support from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF, which became its main local partner in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group.
With U.S. military support, the SDF drove Isis from much of northeastern Syria and continued to rule areas with majority Kurds and Arabs.
Under the terms of the agreement, signed by al-Sharaa and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings and oil and gas fields that have supported Kurdish autonomy.
SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria’s defense and interior ministries after verification, while Damascus will assume responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding tens of thousands of foreign IS fighters and their families.
Damascus also reiterated its commitment to recognizing the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurds, including granting Kurdish official language status and making the Kurdish New Year a national holiday – the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence from France in 1946.
Kuridish media reported that Abdi said the SDF remained committed to protecting what he described as the “achievements” and “specific characteristics” of the Kurdish-led administration in northeastern Syria.
The agreement also reaffirms Syria’s participation in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State.
The agreement follows months of stalled negotiations after the failure of a previous integration effort and comes after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following the SDF’s withdrawal earlier on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa said last week it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and hold its main oil and raw materials resources.