Breaking News:Syrian government, Kurdish-led SDF agree on ceasefire: What to know | Conflict News– What Just Happened

The Syrian government has announced an immediate ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on all fronts after nearly two weeks of deadly fighting.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Sunday that the Syrian Army will take control of three eastern and northeastern provinces – Raqqa, Deir Az Zor and Hasakah – from the SDF as part of the deal.

The SDF will be integrated into Syria’s defence and interior ministries as part of a broader 14-point agreement.

Al-Sharaa’s announcement followed a meeting with the United States special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus.

Al Jazeera’s Ayman Oghanna, reporting from Damascus, said the ceasefire can be seen as a victory for Damascus and its ally Turkiye.

“The biggest issue facing the government, and the reason for these clashes, was a failure to integrate Kurdish-led SDF peacefully into Syrian state institutions,” he said.

“Turkiye sees the SDF as the Syrian branch of the PKK, an organisation that Turkiye has been at war with since 1984, and now, as part of the ceasefire agreement, it says that the SDF will expel PKK elements from outside of Syria’s borders,” he added, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that seeks greater autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkiye.

Fighting erupted between the army and SDF forces in Aleppo on January 6 after talks aimed at integrating the Kurdish-led fighters into Syria’s national army had stalled. The two sides also clashed last month before a deadline for the SDF to lay down its heavy weapons and hand control of areas in Aleppo to the national army.

So, will the ceasefire last, and how will the integration of the SDF be implemented?

What is the latest from Syria’s northeast?

The ceasefire agreement came after the Syrian Army gained territory against SDF forces in Raqqa province in a lightning offensive.

Forces of Syria’s Ministry of Interior have begun entering the northeastern city of Raqqa to prepare for an organised deployment across all neighbourhoods.

Raqqa, an Arab majority city, erupted in celebrations as the news came of its control going into the hands of government forces. Raqqa also has some of the country’s largest oil and gas fields.

The city has been under SDF control for nearly a decade since ISIL (ISIS) fighters were driven out in 2017.

Fighting also took place in other parts of the country, including in Deir Az Zor, also home to some major oil and gas fields.

Ghassan Al-Sayyed Ahmed, appointed by Damascus to oversee the governorate, told Al Jazeera that Deir Az Zor has “put an end to the era of the SDF and its practices, and there is overwhelming joy among the residents”.

He claimed that “the province witnessed a popular uprising as a result of the SDF’s practices”, and that “the SDF retreated to Hasakah province within 12 hours”.

“We [the Syrian government authorities] took control of all the governorate’s facilities this afternoon,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, the Syrian Army took control of Tabqa, about 40km (24 miles) west of Raqqa. It also captured the Euphrates Dam, the largest in the country and adjacent to the strategic city, as well as the Freedom Dam, formerly known as the Baath Dam.

On Saturday, the SDF withdrew from Deir Hafer and some surrounding villages in Aleppo governorate that are home to predominantly Arab populations, after which Syrian forces moved in, triggering celebrations. Deir Hafer is about 50km (30 miles) east of Aleppo city.

“It happened with the least amount of losses,” Hussein al-Khalaf, a resident of Deir Hafer, told Reuters. “There’s been enough blood in this country, Syria. We have sacrificed and lost enough. People are tired of it.”

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, affiliated with the SDF, on Saturday accused the Syrian government of violating a withdrawal agreement, saying it “attacked our forces on multiple fronts since yesterday morning”. The SDF also warned that the attacks on Raqqa might threaten security as the city hosts thousands of ISIL detainees.

The US-backed SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, was formed in 2015, nearly four years after the armed uprising against former President Bashar al-Assad began. Al-Assad remained in power until he was ousted in December 2024 by Syrian opposition fighters led by al-Sharaa, who is now the interim president.

Al-Sharaa’s government has pledged to reunify Syria after 14 years of war. On Friday, al-Sharaa issued a decree declaring Kurdish a “national language” and granting the minority group official recognition.

What was the March agreement between the Syrian army and SDF?

On March 10, al-Sharaa reached an agreement with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi.

The agreement emphasised the unity of Syria and stipulated that “all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria” be merged “into the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the airport and oil and gas fields”.

The agreement also included an affirmation that the Kurdish people are integral to Syria and have a right to citizenship, as well as guaranteed constitutional rights.

After a breakdown of this deal, heavy fighting between the SDF and the Syrian Army resumed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods of Aleppo city last month. A US-brokered ceasefire took effect on January 10.

The SDF’s secular Kurdish leadership is linked to the Turkish-based PKK. Although the PKK announced in May that it would lay down its arms and disband, it is still listed as a “terrorist” group by Turkiye, the European Union and the US.

Despite this, the US backed the SDF because it was an effective partner against ISIL, which the SDF and a US-led coalition defeated in northeastern Syria by 2019.

How has the US reacted?

The US has praised the ceasefire agreement. In a statement, Barrack, the US special envoy, commended the Syrian government and the SDF for “constructive efforts in reaching today’s ceasefire agreement, paving the way for renewed dialogue and cooperation toward a unified Syria”.

“This agreement and ceasefire represents a pivotal inflection point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division,” he added

Earlier, Washington urged the Syrian Army to stop advancing into Kurdish-held territory.

What has al-Sharaa said?

“As we speak, we are working towards establishing a total ceasefire,” al-Sharaa said on Sunday.

“Now, a ceasefire will be observed, [and] after that, we will start gradually implementing the agreement,” he said.

As part of his efforts to unite Syria, al-Sharaa on Friday issued a decree formally recognising Kurdish as a “national language” alongside Arabic, allowing it to be taught in school, and restoring citizenship to all Kurdish Syrians. The new agreement welcomed the presidential decree.

The decree for the first time grants Kurdish Syrians rights, including the recognition of their Kurdish identity as part of Syria’s national fabric.

It also abolishes measures dating back to a 1962 census in Hasakah province that stripped many Kurds of Syrian nationality and grants citizenship to all affected residents, including those previously registered as stateless.

The decree declares Newroz, the Kurdish New Year festival, a paid national holiday. It bans ethnic or linguistic discrimination, requires state institutions to adopt inclusive national messaging and sets penalties for incitement to ethnic strife.

The Kurdish administration in Syria’s north and northeast said the decree was “a first step, however, it does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people”.

It added that “rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but… through permanent constitutions that express the will of the people and all components” of a society.