Syrian government, SDF reach comprehensive ceasefire and integration agreement

DAMASCUS - The Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached a comprehensive agreement to halt hostilities and launch a phased integration of military and administrative structures in northern Syria, according to statements released Friday by both sides.

A source from the interim government told state broadcaster al-Ikhbariya that the agreement stipulates an immediate ceasefire and a sequential process to integrate SDF military and security personnel on an individual basis within newly formed units, while the state assumes full authority over all civil and government institutions, border crossings, and entry points.

The source said the arrangement ensures that "no part of the country remains outside state authority," adding that the agreement aims to reinforce stability and advance the enforcement of law across the region.

The SDF's media center said in a statement that the ceasefire deal includes the withdrawal of forces from contact lines and the deployment of the interim government's security units into the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli to initiate security integration.

According to the SDF statement, the agreement provides for the formation of a military division comprising three brigades drawn from SDF forces, as well as a separate brigade made up of forces from Kobani, also known as Ain al-Arab, to be incorporated into a division affiliated with Aleppo province.

The deal also covers the integration of the autonomous administration's civilian institutions into the state structure, with provisions to retain and regularize civilian employees, the SDF said.

Both sides said the agreement includes measures to settle civil, educational, and cultural rights for Syria's Kurdish population, alongside guarantees for the return of displaced residents to their home areas.

The latest deal follows weeks of intermittent clashes and fragile ceasefire arrangements in northern Syria, during which Damascus expanded its security presence in parts of Raqqa, Deir al-Zour, and Hasakah.