Clashes in Raqqa end as Syrian army, SDF agree to ceasefire

Intense fighting in south-east Raqqa between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has ended with a ceasefire, officials say, following days of heavy clashes that killed two soldiers and injured nine, as noted by Step News.

The violence, centred on the Maadan area, included infiltration attempts, shelling with heavy and medium weapons, and drone attacks.

The Syrian army reclaimed positions that had been temporarily overrun by the SDF earlier this week.

Sources report that the SDF requested the army withdraw from recently captured positions, a demand the government rejected. The army insisted it would maintain control over key strategic sites.

The ceasefire was brokered in coordination with the international coalition, which called on both sides to honour the March 10 agreement and return to a path of calm.

The March deal, hailed as a historic step in Syria’s peace process, aimed to integrate SDF fighters into the Syrian army, enforce a nationwide ceasefire, and guarantee constitutional rights for the Kurdish community.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi acknowledged that implementation of the March agreement remains slow, citing “challenges, obstacles, and a lack of trust between the parties.”

He warned that critical issues—such as the return of displaced people from Afrin—have been neglected, putting the future of the agreement at risk.

By Aghakazim Guliyev