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Syrian state media has announced that the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached an immediate, nationwide ceasefire agreement, effectively placing the country under near-total government control.
This ceasefire concludes nearly two weeks of conflict and is part of a comprehensive 14-point agreement that will integrate the SDF into Syria’s national military and state institutions.
In a statement delivered from Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that the agreement will enable Syrian state institutions to reassert control over the key eastern and northern governorates of al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa.
The announcement follows a meeting in Damascus between President al-Sharaa and US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack. Mr. Barrack lauded the agreement as a significant step toward a “unified Syria.”
SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi was scheduled to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to inclement weather. President al-Sharaa announced that his visit has been postponed until Monday.
In a televised address, Commander Abdi confirmed the planned meeting and pledged to share further details regarding the agreement with Syria’s Kurdish population upon his return from Damascus.
Speaking on the Kurdish television channel Ronahi, he explained that the agreement with Damascus includes a ceasefire aimed at preventing a wider conflict, emphasizing that the recent fighting had been “imposed” upon the SDF.
Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during the Syrian civil war, nearly a decade ago, with substantial support from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF as its primary local partner in the fight against the Islamic State group (Isis).
With the backing of US military support, the SDF successfully drove Isis from much of northeastern Syria and subsequently governed both Kurdish and Arab-majority regions.
Under the terms of the agreement signed by President al-Sharaa and Commander Abdi, Syrian authorities will assume control of civilian institutions, border crossings, and the oil and gas fields that have been the foundation of Kurdish self-rule.
SDF military and security personnel will undergo vetting and be integrated into Syria’s Ministries of Defense and Interior. Damascus will also assume responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding tens of thousands of foreign Isis fighters and their families.
Furthermore, Damascus has reiterated its commitment to recognizing Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting Kurdish official language status and designating the Kurdish New Year as a national holiday. This marks the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence from France in 1946.
Kurdish media reports indicate that Commander Abdi affirmed the SDF’s continued commitment to safeguarding what he described as the “achievements” and “specific characteristics” of the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria.
The agreement also reaffirms Syria’s participation in the US-led coalition against Islamic State.
This deal follows months of stalled negotiations after a previous integration effort faltered. It also comes after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following an SDF withdrawal earlier on Sunday.
President al-Sharaa stated last week that it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and hold its primary oil and commodity resources.
The Kurdish-led SDF militia withdrew from the Omar oil field amid an eastward push by government forces.
The US Central Command said in a statement that Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was killed in the attack on Friday.
This comes after Syria’s government announced its first formal recognition of Kurdish national rights since 1946.
The deal was announced in the early hours of Sunday morning after a week of violent clashes.
US President Donald Trump ordered the “large-scale strikes” on Saturday, US Central Command announced.
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