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2h ago

Syria and Kurdish-Led SDF Seal Ceasefire as Government Reclaims Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor

Damascus moves to implement a 14-point deal integrating vetted SDF personnel into state institutions.

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A drone view shows the Conoco gas plant after it came under the control of the Syrian government following the withdrawal of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the countryside of Deir al-Zor, Syria, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Conoco gas plant after it came under the control of the Syrian government following the withdrawal of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the countryside of Deir al-Zor, Syria, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Residents topple a statue of a female Kurdish fighter after the takeover of the town by Syrian government forces from U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Tabqa, eastern Syria, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Overview

  • SDF commander Mazloum Abdi publicly accepted the truce and said forces would withdraw from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor toward Hasakah, with a meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa set for Monday after a weather delay.
  • The agreement calls for SDF personnel to be merged as individuals into Syria’s defence and interior ministries, and for state control over border crossings, oil and gas fields, and detention sites holding ISIS suspects and families.
  • Reuters journalists observed Syrian government forces establishing checkpoints in Raqqa and deploying at the al-Omar oil field and Conoco gas plant in Deir ez-Zor, consolidating control after rapid advances.
  • Turkey welcomed the deal and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack called it a turning point, as U.S. officials prioritize counter-ISIS efforts and assess risks to the security of prisons and camps; the timeline for transferring those sites was not announced.
  • Despite the ceasefire, reports described fresh clashes near a Raqqa prison and other northern locations, while Iraqi leader Moqtada al-Sadr urged tighter border security to deter an ISIS resurgence.