The Syrian army announced a nationwide and immediate ceasefire on Sunday following the signing of an agreement between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), providing for the full integration of SDF forces into the Syrian army and a reorganisation of military deployments in northern and eastern Syria.
An Al Jazeera correspondent said the agreement includes a comprehensive ceasefire across all front lines and contact points, as well as the withdrawal of SDF forces to areas east of the Euphrates River as a preliminary step toward redeployment.
In an official statement, Syria’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the halt of hostilities across all areas of fighting, saying the move aims to open safe corridors for civilians to return to their homes and allow state institutions to resume operations.
International reaction and U.S. praise
In Washington, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack praised both the Syrian government and the SDF for efforts that led to the agreement, saying the ceasefire paves the way for renewed dialogue and cooperation toward a unified Syria.
Simultaneous field developments
Despite the ceasefire announcement, Al Jazeera reported that SDF forces fired rocket launchers at Syrian army positions near Ain Issa in the northern countryside of Raqqa.
A military source told Al Jazeera that Syrian army forces had taken control of areas west of the Euphrates River, including the town of al-Shuhail in northeastern Deir ez-Zor, adding that SDF forces had withdrawn from the al-Omar and al-Tanak oil fields, as well as the Koniko gas field.
The source said the developments came on the second day of ongoing military operations in the area.
Clashes inside Raqqa and army advances
In Raqqa city, clashes erupted between Arab tribal fighters and SDF forces. Tribal sources told Al Jazeera they had taken control of several villages and buildings, including the security headquarters, al-Mashlab district and al-Shaib neighbourhood.
On Saturday evening, the Syrian army announced it had captured the strategic town of al-Tabqa in the Raqqa countryside. The army’s operations command said its forces had also taken control of the Euphrates Dam, Syria’s largest, and had reached the outskirts of Raqqa.
A military source added that the Syrian army, alongside tribal groups, had launched operations against SDF positions east of the Euphrates in Deir ez-Zor.
Political contacts and de-escalation efforts
Politically, an official from the Autonomous Administration told Al Jazeera that contact had taken place between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, describing the atmosphere as “positive”.
The contact followed a meeting held on Saturday in Erbil between Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani, the SDF commander and U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to discuss developments in the Syrian file.
