Syrian Army Takes Control of Raqqa, Deir Ez Zor and Hasakah From Kurdish-Led SDF

Syrian government forces launched a rapid offensive into formerly Kurdish-held areas of northeastern Syria and seized key strategic sites.

“I don't see the article text or a link”

Al Jazeera

They captured the city of Tabqa, about 55 km west of Raqqa, and the nearby Euphrates/Tabqa dam.

Al Jazeera

The army advanced from Aleppo into Raqqa and eastern Deir Ezzor in what pro-government sources described as a 'massive pincer movement'.

State media and monitoring groups said troops also took major oil and gas sites in eastern Deir Ezzor province, including the Omar and Tanak fields and the Conoco gas field.

Other outlets similarly reported that forces seized the northern city of Tabqa, nearby dams, and the country's largest oil field, Omar.

Coverage noted the advance covered more than a 150-km stretch along the Euphrates.

The offensive prompted both orderly and chaotic withdrawals by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in several areas, including reported SDF pulls from parts of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor and evacuations of a military hospital.

Monitoring groups and correspondents reported casualties and displacements, describing SDF withdrawals from eastern Deir Ezzor and fighting around Tabqa and Raqqa.

Al Jazeera

Footage and state media showed celebrations in some localities after SDF pullbacks.

The SDF and the Autonomous Administration accused Damascus of violating withdrawal agreements, saying pro-Damascus factions attacked positions on the east bank after commitments to redeploy.

Regional outlets and the Straits Times noted Kurdish denials over losing some sites and reported calls by Kurdish authorities for residents to resist.

A political deal announced after mediation appeared to formalize a wide-ranging reintegration of SDF structures into Damascus's institutions.

“Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signs a ceasefire agreement to fully integrate the Kurdish-led forces into the army”

Al Jazeera

Multiple reports described a 14-point March integration agreement calling for the SDF and Kurdish security units to be integrated into Syria's defence and interior ministries.

The agreement also called for the handover of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour provinces to Damascus and for Damascus to assume responsibility for Islamic State prisoners and camp detainees.

Different outlets framed the pact variously as a step toward a 'unified Syria,' as a dismantling of autonomous Kurdish arrangements, or as a gradual process beginning with a ceasefire.

The New Indian Express and France 24 outlined the 14-point terms, Kahawatungu said the deal 'largely dismantles the Kurdish-led autonomous arrangements,' and NPR reported that Al-Sharaa said implementation 'would be gradual, beginning with a ceasefire.'

The offensive and the deal provoked urgent international concern about stability, ISIL detainees, and the role of outside mediators.

Western and regional officials raised alarms: Al Jazeera and DW said US officials feared the offensive could let thousands of ISIL prisoners escape and noted US envoy Tom Barrack’s meetings with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, while upday News and France 24 quoted Western leaders urging a ceasefire.

AL-Monitor

US Central Command publicly urged Syrian troops to halt operations and Barrack described the pact as a “pivotal inflection point” in talks to reunify the country.

The reports underline a diplomatic dilemma for Western backers of the SDF who must weigh counter‑IS priorities against support for Damascus’s reassertion of authority.

Kurdish officials and local communities reacted with guarded acceptance, denouncing breaches while cautiously receiving limited concessions.

“A Syrian government ministry called a recent deal a "decisive milestone" that opens a new phase of unified institutions, stabilized security and a comprehensive national path for recovery and reconstruction, and urged the international community to back it as a chance to bolster local security, regional stability and economic recovery”

Anadolu Ajansı

Damascus issued a decree recognizing Kurds as an essential and integral part and making Kurdish a national language.

Anadolu Ajansı

Kurdish authorities described the decree as a first step but said it falls short of their expectations.

Outlets recorded calls for resistance in some areas and reports of symbolic acts, such as the destruction of a statue honoring a Kurdish fighter.

There were also statements that hundreds of SDF fighters had defected and reports of tribal coordination with government forces.

Coverage reflects both the political concession and deep skepticism among Kurdish leaders and civilians about whether the deal preserves meaningful autonomy.