The Syrian government on Sunday announced a ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, setting out a framework that would dismantle the SDF’s control over parts of Syria’s northeast. The ceasefire was announced as tensions between government forces and the SDF escalated earlier this month, and after a major push by government forces toward the east.
Syria’s Defense Ministry said it ordered fighting to halt on the front lines after the agreement was announced. Hours later, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi confirmed the group had accepted the deal in a video statement, saying it includes their withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir el-Zour provinces “to stop the bloodshed.”
“We will explain the terms of the agreement to our people in the coming days,” Abdi said. Syria’s state-run news agency SANA also showed President Ahmad al-Sharaa signing and holding the agreement, with Abdi’s signature appearing on the document even though he was not seen.
Al-Sharaa told journalists in Damascus that Abdi could not travel due to bad weather and would visit on Monday. After signing the agreement, al-Sharaa said, “It’s a victory for all Syrians of all backgrounds,” adding: “Hopefully Syria will end its state of division and move to a state of unity and progress.”
The two sides have been locked in a struggle for territory since Syria’s new leadership took power after toppling Bashar Assad in December 2024. The AP reported that an agreement reached in March—intended to merge the SDF with Damascus—did not gain traction as both sides accused each other of violating it.
According to the AP, Damascus accused Kurdish-led forces of executing prisoners in Tabqa before withdrawing from the area in northeast Syria, claims the SDF denied. The SDF said it had transferred detainees out of the prison and accused government forces of firing at the facility.
The agreement also came as U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met with al-Sharaa earlier Sunday, during a period when government forces were sweeping into the city of Raqqa and across Deir el-Zour province. The report said Abdi reportedly joined that meeting over the phone, and Barrack later praised the ceasefire on X.
Barrack said the agreement would lead to “renewed dialogue and cooperation toward a unified Syria.” He also wrote that the “This agreement and ceasefire represent a pivotal inflection point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division,” according to the AP account.
The agreement includes dismantling the SDF and having its forces join Syria’s military and security forces, while senior military and civilian officials would be given high-ranking positions in state institutions. Under the terms, the SDF would have to give up Raqqa and Deir el-Zour provinces, as well as border crossings and oil and gas fields in those areas.
The AP reported that Hassakah Province—the heartland of the Kurdish population—was expected to return its civilian administration to Damascus. It said Kurdish-led agencies that handled prisons and sprawling camps with thousands of detained Islamic State fighters and families would be handed over to Damascus.
Al-Sharaa said the agreement would be implemented gradually, beginning with the cessation of hostilities, and he did not give a clear timeline for when other elements would take effect. The AP described how tensions following clashes in Aleppo earlier this month had calmed after Abdi announced troops would withdraw east of the Euphrates River, along with a presidential decree that strengthened Kurdish rights.
The initial withdrawal appeared to proceed, the report said, before new clashes broke out and the Syrian military seized Tabqa, continuing into Raqqa province. A senior Syrian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AP that government forces pushed eastward because the SDF did not withdraw east of the Euphrates by 7 a.m. despite saying it would, and said armed Arab clans in Raqqa and Deir el-Zour supported Damascus.
By Sunday evening, the AP said the SDF lost control of large swaths of its territory and infrastructure, including dams and oil and gas fields. An AP reporter in the area said large military convoys swept into Raqqa city Sunday evening and were greeted by residents, appearing to indicate the SDF had withdrawn.
In Raqqa, crowds celebrated in the streets late into the evening, waving Syrian flags and setting off fireworks, and some residents fired into the air. “Today, everyone is born anew,” said Yahya Al Ahmad, who was among the revelers.
Meanwhile, the AP said a couple of thousand Kurdish families who lived in areas captured by government forces fled to Qamishli, where the SDF had maintained control. Many families were previously displaced multiple times during Syria’s 14-year civil war and had been living in tents camps, with a cultural center in Qamishli turned into a temporary shelter.
Residents of Qamishli expressed hope alongside skepticism about the deal. Goran Ibrahim, a doctor, said, “The Kurds have become victims of international agreements and international deception,” while also saying, “With regards to this agreement, the positive part is the end of the fighting between Arabs and Kurds in the region.”
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, told the AP: “Really this is now a moment to show that Syrians are able to put differences aside and move ahead…It’s a victory for Syria.”