The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have agreed to extend a fragile ceasefire into a permanent truce, ending nearly a month of fighting. The deal, reached on Friday, lays a framework for integrating Kurdish forces into the state and resolving tensions over Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria.
Under the agreement, both sides will pull fighters back from frontlines, and government security forces will enter the Kurdish strongholds of Hasakah and Qamishli. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will integrate into the Syrian army, with a new military brigade formed comprising three SDF brigades, and SDF fighters placed under government command in Aleppo. The Syrian state will also absorb the civilian institutions of the Kurdish authority.
The deal marks a milestone for Damascus, which has sought to extend control over Syria's territory after 14 years of fragmentation. The SDF previously controlled about a quarter of the country and its main oilfields. The agreement came after government forces, aided by Arab and tribal elements, shrank SDF-controlled territory by about 80%.
The Kurdish authority, which operated as a de-facto autonomous zone for a decade, will see its autonomy significantly reduced under unitary rule from Damascus. However, the deal includes civil and educational rights for Kurds and guarantees the return of displaced people. US special envoy Tom Barrack praised the agreement as a 'profound and historic milestone,' highlighting intensive US and French mediation.
