The Syrian government has announced an immediate ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on all fronts after nearly two weeks of intense fighting, following a rapid military offensive that saw government forces capture the strategic city of Tabqa and Syria's largest dam on the Euphrates River.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that the Syrian Army will take control of three eastern and northeastern provinces, including Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, and Hasakah, from the SDF as part of the landmark agreement. The deal marks a dramatic shift in the balance of power in northern Syria, coming just over a month after the fall of the Assad regime in December.
Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa confirmed that government forces had secured Tabqa and the nearby Euphrates Dam after expelling fighters linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party. The army also captured the Freedom Dam, formerly known as the Baath Dam, west of Raqqa. These hydroelectric facilities are critical infrastructure for electricity generation and water management in the region.
The ceasefire agreement includes provisions for dismantling the SDF and integrating its forces into Syria's national military and security apparatus. Senior military and civilian officials from the Kurdish-led forces would be given high-ranking positions in state institutions as part of the arrangement. The SDF would also surrender control of border crossings and strategically vital oil and gas fields to the central government.
Fighting had erupted between government forces and the SDF in Aleppo on January 6 after negotiations aimed at peacefully integrating the Kurdish-led fighters into the national army had stalled. The swift government offensive caught many observers by surprise, with forces advancing rapidly through previously SDF-controlled territory.
The announcement followed a meeting between President al-Sharaa and United States special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Damascus. Barrack praised the agreement, stating it would lead to renewed dialogue and cooperation toward a unified Syria. The American endorsement signals Washington's acceptance of the new political reality in the country it once supported the SDF to control.
The agreement has not been without controversy. Syrian government officials accused SDF forces of killing prisoners in Tabqa before withdrawing from the area. The SDF denied these allegations, claiming they had transferred detainees out of the prison and accusing government forces of firing at the facility during the takeover.
The ceasefire represents a significant milestone for Syria's new leadership as they work to assert full authority over the war-torn country. With the eastern provinces now set to come under government control, Damascus is closer to reunifying Syria than at any point since the civil war began more than a decade ago.