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 forms 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 that the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over three eastern and northern governorates - al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa.
This follows a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack praised the agreement as a step toward a unified Syria.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions, postponing his visit until Monday, al-Sharaa said.
In a televised address, Abdi confirmed the meeting and indicated that he would share more details about the agreement with Syria's Kurds after returning from the capital.
Speaking on Kurdish television channel Ronahi, Abdi mentioned that the deal he had agreed to with Damascus included a ceasefire to avoid a broader conflict, stressing that the recent fighting was imposed upon the SDF.
Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during Syria's civil war nearly a decade ago, with significant backing from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF as its main local partner in the fight against the Islamic State group (Isis).
With US military support, the SDF drove Isis from much of northeastern Syria and went on to govern both Kurdish and Arab-majority areas.
As part 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 underpinned Kurdish self-rule.
SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria's defense and interior ministries following verification, while Damascus will take responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding tens of thousands of foreign Isis fighters and their families.
Damascus has also reiterated pledges to recognize Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting Kurdish official language 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 stated the SDF remains committed to protecting what he termed 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 Isis.
The deal follows months of stalled negotiations after a previous integration effort faltered, coming after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following an SDF withdrawal earlier on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa indicated last week that it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and control its main oil and commodities resources.
