Syria Declares Ceasefire With Kurdish Forces as Damascus Pushes for Integration After Rapid Territorial Gains

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Syria’s government announced a ceasefire on Tuesday with Kurdish-led forces in the country’s northeast after swiftly reclaiming large areas of territory, giving the group four days to agree to integrate into the central state or face further military pressure. The move marks the most significant shift in control since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad more than a year ago and signals a decisive moment in the future of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The ceasefire follows a series of rapid advances by government troops in recent days, alongside signs that Washington is scaling back its support for the SDF’s continued control of territory. Together, these developments have dramatically altered the balance of power in northeastern Syria, a region that has been largely autonomous since the defeat of Islamic State’s territorial “caliphate.”

The United States urged the Kurdish-led forces to accept Damascus’s offer, describing it as a rare opportunity to secure formal rights within the Syrian state. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said in a social media post that the proposal would grant citizenship, cultural protections, and political participation, calling it the best outcome available for the Kurds under the current circumstances. He added that the original mission of the SDF as Washington’s primary local partner against Islamic State had largely run its course and said the United States had no long-term interest in maintaining a military presence in Syria.

A White House official said the United States was watching developments with “grave concern” and urged all sides to continue negotiations in good faith. The official called on the parties to exercise restraint, avoid further escalation, and prioritize the protection of civilians, particularly members of minority communities.

Under the terms announced by Damascus, the four-day ceasefire began on Tuesday evening. The Syrian government said it had reached an understanding with the SDF under which the group must present a plan to integrate its forces and administration in Hasakah province into the Syrian state. If no agreement is reached, the government warned that its forces could move into two cities currently under SDF control. As part of the integration process, the SDF has been asked to nominate a candidate to serve as an assistant to Syria’s defence minister.

The SDF confirmed that it had accepted the ceasefire and said it would refrain from military action unless attacked. It did not immediately comment on the government’s demand for integration, a long-standing point of contention between the two sides.

Northeastern Syria, bordering Turkey and Iraq, is home to a mix of Kurdish and Arab communities and was once largely overrun by Islamic State fighters. The SDF, dominated by the Kurdish YPG militia, drove the extremists back with extensive air support from a U.S.-led coalition. However, the YPG’s expansion has long alarmed Turkey, which considers the group an extension of the PKK, an organization that has waged a decades-long insurgency inside Turkish territory.

Since Assad was overthrown in December 2024, Syria has been governed by former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously headed an al Qaeda-linked faction and has since emerged as a close ally of Ankara. As a result, developments in the northeast remain highly sensitive for Turkey and are closely watched by regional and international powers.

The area is also of global concern because it hosts facilities holding thousands of detained Islamic State militants and civilians associated with the group. Security around those sites has become a pressing issue as SDF forces pull back. On Monday, roughly 200 low-level Islamic State detainees escaped from Shaddadi prison after SDF units withdrew, according to a U.S. official. Syrian authorities later said about 120 detainees had escaped, with most of them subsequently recaptured.

The SDF has also withdrawn from the al-Hol camp near the Iraqi border, which houses thousands of civilians linked to Islamic State. A senior Syrian defence official said Damascus had informed Washington of the SDF’s intention to leave the area and that government forces were prepared to deploy to secure the camp. The SDF has previously said it was responsible for guarding around 10,000 Islamic State fighters across the region.

Syrian military sources said government troops advanced on Tuesday in eastern parts of Hasakah province and south of the border town of Kobani. Despite those gains, the SDF still controls Hasakah city, the ethnically mixed provincial capital, and Qamishli, a predominantly Kurdish city. The government said it would not attempt to enter either city during the four-day period allotted for negotiations.

The current confrontation follows months of stalemate between Damascus and the SDF over the future of the group’s fighters and the territories it administers. Tensions erupted into open conflict this month after the SDF resisted government demands to dissolve fully into the defence ministry. On Sunday, the group agreed to withdraw from the Arab-majority provinces of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, and government forces moved into parts of Hasakah province the following day.

Reports have described a tense meeting on Monday between SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and President Sharaa, shortly after Abdi’s signature appeared on a 14-point agreement outlining a potential framework for integration. The United States, which has developed close ties with Sharaa under President Donald Trump, has played an active role in mediating between the two sides as Syria enters a new and uncertain phase of consolidation.