Syria government, Kurdish forces agree sweeping integration to end clashes

Members of the Syrian army are deployed inside the city of Tabqa after the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Tabqa, Syria, January 18, 2026. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

TABQA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Syria and the main Kurdish ‌fighting force struck a wide-ranging deal to bring Kurdish civilian and military authorities under central government control on Sunday, ending days of fighting in which Syrian troops captured territory including key ‌oil fields.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack hailed a "pivotal inflection point", but noted that there was still challenging work to be done to finalise details of a comprehensive integration deal.