Syria strikes new ceasefire deal with SDF

The Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a move that Syrian state media says effectively consolidates state authority across almost the entire country and brings an end to nearly two weeks of clashes.

The ceasefire is anchored in a comprehensive 14-point agreement that provides for the gradual integration of the SDF into Syria’s military and state institutions. Officials in Damascus described the accord as a major step toward restoring national unity after years of fragmentation brought on by the civil war.

Speaking in the capital, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the agreement would enable Syrian state institutions to reassert formal control over three key eastern and northern governorates: al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa. He emphasised that the deal creates a framework for stability, governance and security to return under a single national authority.

The announcement followed high-level talks in Damascus between President al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack. Barrack welcomed the ceasefire and broader agreement, describing it as an important step toward a “unified Syria” and a reduction in long-running internal tensions.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting in Damascus but was unable to travel due to adverse weather conditions. His visit has been rescheduled for Monday, according to President al-Sharaa, underscoring continued engagement between both sides as the agreement moves toward implementation.

Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration in northern and eastern Syria nearly a decade ago, during the height of the country’s civil war. The SDF received strong backing from the United States, which armed and trained the group as its primary local partner in the campaign against the Islamic State group (IS).

With sustained US military support, the SDF succeeded in driving IS from large parts of northeastern Syria and subsequently governed a mix of Kurdish- and Arab-majority areas, developing parallel civilian and security institutions during years of conflict.

Under the new agreement, Syrian authorities will assume control of civilian institutions, border crossings, and strategic oil and gas fields that have long underpinned Kurdish self-rule. These measures are intended to bring economic assets and administrative systems back under central state management.

The deal also outlines the integration of SDF military and security personnel into Syria’s defence and interior ministries, subject to a vetting process. In addition, Damascus will take over responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding tens of thousands of foreign IS fighters and their families, a move officials say will strengthen national oversight and long-term security arrangements.