By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) - The UK on Monday welcomed a ceasefire deal between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
"The UK welcomes reports of a US-brokered ceasefire in northern Syria. All parties must uphold the agreement, protect civilians and permanently cease hostilities," Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, wrote on the US social media company X.
On Sunday evening, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire and an agreement for the full integration of the SDF into state institutions.
Under the deal, the SDF will withdraw its military formations east of the Euphrates River and hand over administrative and security control of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces to the Syrian state.
The agreement also provides for the integration of SDF military and security personnel into the Syrian ministries of defense and interior following individual security vetting, as well as the transfer of border crossings, oil and gas fields, and civilian institutions to government control.
The announcement followed a military operation launched by the Syrian Army, through which it regained wide areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated violations by the SDF of earlier agreements signed with Damascus nearly a year ago.