Syrian Govt & SDF Agree Ceasefire and Integration Deal

The Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), taking almost full control of the country, according to Syrian state media. 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. The announcement followed 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."