What are the details of the Syrian government and SDF agreement?
- Syrian government signs ceasefire and full integration deal with Syrian Democratic Forces.
- Agreement transfers control of territory, borders, and resources to Damascus under a rapid timeline.
The Syrian government has signed a landmark agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, to halt fighting and fully integrate the group into state institutions, following days of dramatic military and security developments.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed the deal late Sunday, setting out a comprehensive ceasefire and a framework for dissolving the SDF as an independent force and merging its members individually into the Syrian army and internal security services.
Ceasefire and military integration
Under the agreement, an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire takes effect across all fronts and contact lines. SDF fighters will withdraw to the east of the Euphrates River ahead of a broader redeployment coordinated with Damascus.
All Syrian members of the SDF will be integrated on an individual basis into the Ministries of Defense and Interior, without retaining separate military formations. Heavy military presence will be removed from the city of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, where a local security force drawn from residents will be formed. A local police force will remain in the city under the administrative authority of the Interior Ministry.
The agreement also requires the SDF to provide Damascus with the names of officers linked to remnants of the former regime in northeastern Syria and commits the SDF leadership to refraining from incorporating such figures into its ranks.
Transfer of territory and resources
Administratively and militarily, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces will be handed over immediately to the Syrian government. All civil institutions in Hasakah province will be merged into state structures.
The government will assume control of all border crossings and oil fields in Hasakah, as well as key water resources, with the stated aim of preserving state institutions and ensuring continuity of services.
A presidential decree will appoint a new governor for Hasakah as a guarantee of local representation.
Security files and foreign fighters
Responsibility for prisons holding members of the Islamic State group and for displacement camps will be transferred to the Syrian government, which will assume full legal and security responsibility for these facilities.
The deal stipulates the removal of non-Syrian leaders and members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party from Syrian territory. Damascus also commits to continuing counterterrorism operations as a member of the international coalition, in coordination with Washington.
Political guarantees and returns
Candidates nominated by the SDF will be considered for senior military, security, and civil posts within the state structure. The two sides also agreed to work toward arrangements for the safe and dignified return of residents of Afrin and the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to their homes.
Background and next steps
Earlier, government sources said negotiations were nearing completion on dissolving the SDF and fully integrating it into state institutions on a fast-track timetable. The deal revives key elements of a March ten agreement between President al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, which previously stalled over the form of military integration.
Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said a major announcement was imminent on ceasefire talks and full integration. President al-Sharaa has stated that all outstanding issues with the SDF would be resolved and that state institutions would enter the three eastern and northeastern provinces.
The agreement comes as the Syrian army has expanded control over the western bank of the Euphrates and secured oil fields east of the river, reshaping the balance of power on the ground and accelerating political settlement efforts.
