Syrian Army Reclaims Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor Following Historic Ceasefire

The Syrian government announced a definitive ceasefire and a landmark integration agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), effectively ending a decade of Kurdish autonomy in the northeast. This follows a lightning offensive that saw government forces and allied tribal fighters seize the strategic city of Tabqa, the Euphrates Dam, and the Al-Omar oil field, Syria’s largest. By Sunday evening, Syrian state media reported that the army had entered Raqqa’s city center, aided by a widespread local uprising against SDF compounds.

The breakthrough was solidified in Damascus during a high-stakes meeting between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack. Al-Sharaa unveiled a 14-point agreement signed by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, which mandates the full military and administrative handover of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor to the central state. To ease decades of tension, al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 13, which formally recognizes Kurdish as a “national language,” restores citizenship to thousands of previously stateless Kurds, and designates Newroz as a national holiday.

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The agreement also stipulates that current civil employees in the northeast will be integrated into Syrian state ministries. While U.S. Central Command initially urged a halt to the offensive, envoy Tom Barrack eventually commended the ceasefire as a path toward a “unified Syria.” Although the SDF leadership expressed caution, the rapid collapse of their frontlines and the loss of critical energy resources appear to have forced a total capitulation. Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba confirmed that police units are already deploying to secure public property and facilitate the return of displaced residents.

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