Syria's leader agrees truce deal with Kurds after government troops advance

Syrian government troops take control of the town from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Raqqa, northeastern Syria, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. OMAR ALBAM / AP

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday, January 18 announced a deal with the chief of Kurdish-led forces that includes a ceasefire, after government troops advanced across Kurdish-held areas of the country's north and east.

The agreement, which will also see the Kurdish administration and forces integrate into the state, marks a blow for the minority, which has long held ambitions of preserving the de facto autonomy they had exercised over areas they held for over a decade.

It comes after deadly clashes in the Syrian city of Raqa on Sunday between Kurdish-led forces and local fighters loyal to Damascus.

The deal follows months of stalled negotiations between authorities and the Kurds on integrating their administration and forces into the central government.