President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the deal would allow the Syrian state to reassert control over most areas.
Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScienceArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveSyria agrees ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces after two weeks of clashes10 hours agoShareSaveRachel HaganShareSaveAli Haj Suleiman/Getty ImagesPresident Ahmed al-Sharaa said the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over most areasThe Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), taking almost full control of the country, Syrian state media says.
The ceasefire ends nearly two weeks of fighting and forms part of a broader 14-point agreement that will see the SDF integrated into Syria's military and state institutions.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over three eastern and northern governorates - al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.
It follows a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack praised the agreement as a step toward a "unified Syria."
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions, with his visit postponed until Monday, al-Sharaa said.
In a televised address, Abdi confirmed the meeting and said he would share more details about the agreement with Syria's Kurds after returning from the capital.
Speaking on Kurdish television channel Ronahi, he said the deal he had agreed to with Damascus included a ceasefire to avoid a broader war, stressing that the fighting had been "imposed" on the SDF.
Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during Syria's civil war, almost a decade ago, with strong backing from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF as its main local partner in the fight against the Islamic State group (Isis).
With US military support, the SDF drove Isis from much of northeastern Syria and went on to govern both Kurdish and Arab-majority areas.
Under the agreement, signed by al-Sharaa and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings and oil and gas fields that have underpinned Kurdish self-rule.
SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria's defence and interior ministries follo