Syria Announces Ceasefire Deal with SDF After Troop Advances in Contested Regions

• Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced a comprehensive ceasefire deal with Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• The agreement follows recent advances by Syrian government troops into Kurdish-controlled northern and eastern Syria, including Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces.
• The 14-point accord outlines plans to integrate the SDF into Syria's defense and interior ministries and transfer administration of SDF-run provinces to the central government.
• Damascus will also assume responsibility for Islamic State prisoners and their families currently held in Kurdish-run detention facilities and camps.
• US Envoy Tom Barrack praised the agreement, calling it a "pivotal inflection point" for a unified Syria, despite the SDF not publicly confirming the deal yet.

Why It Matters: Syria and the SDF agree to a ceasefire and integration plan after government troop advances, aiming for a unified Syria.