A man celebrates as government soldiers enter Raqqa city following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces

Video Duration 01 minutes 38 seconds play-arrow01:38

Joy, relief as Syrians celebrate ceasefire between government and Kurdish-led SDF

By Urooba Jamal and Faisal Ali

Published On 19 Jan 202619 Jan 2026

  • Syrian government forces consolidate near control over the country after routing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the battlefield and signing a ceasefire.
  • Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa plans to meet SDF chief Mazloum Abdi (also known as Mazloum Kobani) on Monday after the Kurdish commander missed a sit-down a day earlier because of “bad weather”.