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Syria announces ceasefire, full integration deal with SDF restoring state control in northeast

January 18, 2026
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed on Sunday a comprehensive ceasefire and full integration agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed on Sunday a comprehensive ceasefire and full integration agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

DAMASCUS — Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced on Sunday a comprehensive ceasefire and full integration agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking a major step toward restoring state authority in the country’s northeast.

According to terms published by the Syrian Arab News Agency, the agreement provides for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts and contact lines between government forces and the SDF.

The deal will take effect alongside the withdrawal of all SDF-affiliated military formations to areas east of the Euphrates River, as a preparatory step for redeployment.

Under the agreement, the provinces of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa will be handed over fully and immediately to the Syrian government, both administratively and militarily. This includes the transfer of all civilian institutions and public facilities to state control.

The agreement stipulates that current employees in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa will be formally retained within the relevant Syrian state ministries. It also affirms that no punitive measures will be taken against SDF personnel or members of the civil administration in the two provinces.

In addition, all civilian institutions in Hasakah province will be integrated into Syrian state administrative and institutional structures.

As part of the deal, the Syrian government will assume control of all border crossings as well as oil and gas fields in the region.

Syrian forces will secure these sites to ensure that revenues are returned to the state, according to SANA.

The agreement represents one of the most significant political and security developments in northeastern Syria in recent years, signaling a shift toward centralized governance and a reduction in active conflict in the region. — Agencies


January 18, 2026
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