RAQQA, Syria (AP) — The Syrian government on Sunday announced a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, after Damascus took almost full control of the country and dismantled the Kurdish-led forces that controlled the northeast for more than a decade.

The announcement came as tensions between government forces and the SDF boiled over earlier this month, eventually resulting in a major push by government forces toward the east. The SDF appeared to have largely retreated after initial clashes on a tense front line area in eastern Aleppo province.

Syria’s Defense Ministry said it ordered the fighting to halt on the front lines after the agreement was announced. The SDF did not immediately confirm the agreement, nor respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Syria’s new leaders, since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, have struggled to assert their full authority over the war-torn country. An agreement was reached in March that would merge the SDF with Damascus, but it did not gain traction, as both sides accused each other of violating the deal.

Since the push, the government has largely asserted control of the Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces, critical areas under the SDF that include oil and gas fields, river dams along the Euphrates, and border crossings.

Syria’s state-run news agency SANA showed President Ahmed al-Sharaa........

© The Times of Israel