Syrian Government Forces Assert Control Of Raqqa After SDF Agrees To Ceasefire Deal

RAQQA, SYRIA - JANUARY 19: Syrian government forces are deployed near Al-Aqtan prison on January 19, 2026 in Raqqa, Syria. Yesterday, the Syrian government announced that a nationwide ceasefire deal had been reached with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who had been clashing with government forces in recent weeks. The Kurdish-led force, a long-time ally of the United States in the fight against ISIS, had controlled large swaths of northwest Syria during the years of the country's civil war. The current ceasefire paves the way for the SDF to be integrated into Syria's military and state institutions. (Photo by Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)