Syria’s interim leader has struck a deal to merge the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish group that controls the nation’s northeast, into the army and achieve a nationwide ceasefire. The breakthrough agreement gives the regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa control over most of Syria following days of clashes and targeted killing of civilians in the war-torn country.

Syria said that it had ended a government military operation in response to insurgent attacks that resulted in a spiral of violence and put the country’s nascent political transition on a knife’s edge.

The agreement marked a major victory for Damascus in its quest to unify the country, as violent unrest continues to grip Syria’s coastal region.