The Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), taking almost full 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 stated the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over the eastern and northern governorates - al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.
This follows a meeting between al-Sharaa and the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack commended the agreement as a step towards establishing a unified Syria.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions. In a televised address, he confirmed the meeting and stated that he would share more details about the agreement with Syria's Kurds upon returning from the capital.
During his address on Kurdish television channel Ronahi, Abdi revealed that the deal included a ceasefire to prevent a broader conflict, emphasizing that the fighting was imposed on the SDF.
The Kurdish-led forces have governed their autonomous administration since the Syrian civil war began nearly a decade ago, primarily supported by the United States, which provided arms and training to the SDF in its fight against the Islamic State group (ISIS).
As part of the agreement signed between al-Sharaa and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings, as well as oil and gas fields that have sustained Kurdish self-rule. SDF military and security personnel are to be integrated into Syria's defense and interior ministries, following vetting.
Furthermore, Damascus will take control of prisons and detention camps housing thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families.
The agreement also includes promises from the Syrian government to recognize Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting the Kurdish language official status and marking the Kurdish New Year as a national holiday—the first formal acknowledgment of Kurdish rights since Syria's independence from France in 1946.
Kurdish media reported that Abdi reiterated the SDF’s commitment to safeguarding their "achievements" and "specific characteristics" of their administration in northeast Syria.
The deal also reaffirms Syria's participation in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS.
This agreement comes after months of stalled negotiations following a failed integration effort, as Syrian government forces moved to occupy Raqqa and nearby oil facilities after a recent SDF withdrawal.
Last week, al-Sharaa highlighted that it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country while holding its primary oil and resource assets.
