Syrian government troops tightened their grip on Monday across a swathe of northern and eastern territory abruptly abandoned the previous day by Kurdish forces, in a dramatic shift that consolidated President Ahmed al-Sharaa's rule.

Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said early on Sunday that government forces had secured Tabqa and the nearby Euphrates Dam, Syria’s largest, after expelling fighters linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), labelled a “terrorist” group by Turkiye, the European Union and the United States.

Hundreds of Syrians gathered in Al-Naim Square in Raqqa on Sunday to celebrate a ceasefire agreement and the entry of government forces into the city's province.

The Syrian government Sunday announced a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, taking almost full control of the country and dismantling the Kurdish-led forces that controlled the northeast for over a decade.

Military takes control of Tabqa in Raqqa governorate, and President al-Sharaa signs a decree recognising Kurdish rights.

Under the deal, a comprehensive ceasefire takes effect immediately across all fronts, with the SDF withdrawing its military formations east of the Euphrates River - Kenya breaking news | Kenya news today | Capitalfm.

Government troops drew closer to Raqqa, the largest city overseen by the Kurds, raising U.S. concerns about the renewal of a wider conflict in the region.

Jubilant crowds waved Syrian revolutionary flags amid celebratory gunfire as Raqqa residents tore down symbols and statues of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who had controlled the city since 2017.

The Syrian Arab Army's Operations Command has published several maps identifying specific locations in Raqqa and Tabqa, urging residents