French President Emmanuel Macron and the President of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, called for “immediate de-escalation“ in Syria during a phone call, the French presidency announced, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
The two leaders called on all parties to immediately cease fire and resume negotiations on the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian state in accordance with the agreement of March 10, 2025, the implementation of which has been slow so far.
Macron and Barzani stressed that the Syrian authorities bear full responsibility for protecting the civilian population. Today, the SDF reported fierce fighting with government forces.
The Kurdish authorities imposed a curfew in the northern province of Raqqa controlled by them, while the Syrian army said it would strike targets of Kurdish forces in the area. A statement from the autonomous Kurdish administration said the curfew in Raqqa province would remain in effect “until further notice“.
The city of Raqqa, the historical “capital“ of the “Islamic State“ group before the victory of the SDF with the support of an international coalition, is a key strategic point. At the same time, the Syrian army declared a “closed military zone“ around the town of Tabqa on the banks of the Euphrates in Raqqa province and warned that it would strike Kurdish positions, including near Raqqa, and called on civilians to move away from the area.
In an official statement, government forces announced that they had today regained control of 34 settlements that had previously been abandoned by the SDF.