A truce hastily agreed on Sunday between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could finally end weeks of fighting between the two parties and see the execution of a deal signed last March.
The fighting saw the Syrian army taking control of Raqqa, Deir az-Zour and Hassakeh in Syria’s northeast in a lightning advance over the weekend, coinciding with the withdrawal of all SDF fighters to the east of the Euphrates River.
On Sunday evening at the People’s Palace in Damascus, President Ahmed Al-Sharaa said that an agreement had been reached with SDF chief Mazloum Abdi.
They also agreed an "immediate and comprehensive" end to the fighting across all fronts, the withdrawal of all SDF military units to the east of the Euphrates River and the opening of safe corridors to allow civilians to return home, but with the government effectively taking control of all parts of Syria.
Here are the main things to know about the 14-point truce that will change the future of the country:
Territorial and administrative changes
Under the ceasefire agreement, the Syrian government will take back military and administrative control of the Arab majority province of Raqqa, which has been under SDF control since the Islamic State group was driven out of the northern governorate in 2017.
The government is also set to take over control of Deir az-Zour, which fell to the SDF later.
In Hassakeh, Syria’s northeastern-most region, all civil institutions will likewise be transferred to state institutions with a governor appointed by presidential decree expected to act as a guarantor of political participation and local representation.
The border town of Ain al-Arab, known in Kurdish as Kobane, located approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Manbij, would be free of "heavy military presence", the agreement says. An additional security force established by the city’s residents, as well as a local police force, will be active in the area while remaining administratively subordinate to the interior ministry.
Border crossings and other strategic infrastructure previously managed by the SDF will be transferred to government authorities. Local forces will remain on site to provide security.
Forces within the interior ministry have already begun moving into multiple neighbourhoods of all three provinces, reports say.
Negotiations are continuing between government forces and SDF officials on technical aspects of the transition, including delegations discussing details of the ceasefire at al-Aqtab prison in the Raqqa countryside, which houses Islamic State group prisoners.
The agreement also envisions Damascus taking over Kurdish-run prisons and camps housing ISIS members and their families.
Integration of SDF into Syrian state structures
A central pillar of the ceasefire deal revolves around the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian state institutions.
Under the truce deal, SDF fighters and security personnel are to be individually vetted before being integrated into Syria’s defence and interior ministries.
Civilian institutions that were previously administered by branches of the SDF are also stipulated to be absorbed into state structures, per the agreement.
Al-Sharaa said that the current ceasefire plan remains in line with the 10 March agreement, which called for the integration of all civil and military institutions to be under the control of Damascus.
The government maintains that the goal is to unify all governance under the state, which would effectively end the rule of the SDF as a semi-autonomous administration and "ensure national partnership".
Oil and gas fields
The issue of oil and gas facilities in the oil-rich border region with Iraq has also been highlighted in the agreement presented by al-Sharaa.
On Sunday, Syrian troops seized two key bases in Deir Ez-Zour province - al-Omar oil field, which is the country’s largest, as well as the Conoco gas field.
The oil fields east of the Euphrates River have been a main source of revenue for the Kurdish-led SDF, which controlled about a quarter of Syria and some of the country’s main oil and commodities resources.
Instead, Damascus is now set to merge the administration of all oil and gas fields previously under Kurdish-led control into state control.
Regional and international reactions
The US, which has long been the SDF’s main backer in the country, has praised the ceasefire announcement.
US special envoy Tom Barrack commended both parties for "constructive efforts in reaching [the] ceasefire agreement" saying it paves the way for a "unified Syria". CENTCOM commander also welcomed the truce agreement.
Turkey, which has sought to prevent a Kurdish-run autonomous region along its southern border and largely considered the SDF as a "national threat", has expressed hope that the truce "will contribute to strengthening the security and safety of the Syrian people".
Regional partners including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan have all welcomed the ceasefire.