"Hundreds of residents in the northeastern Syrian city of Raqqa welcomed Syrian government forces on Monday, following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under an agreement reached between the two sides. Footage shows crowds gathering in the city’s main square and streets, waving flags of the First Syrian Republic in celebration, as celebratory gunfire was heard. Local resident Wael al-Hadi described how people took to the streets to celebrate the de-escalation, noting that conditions had already begun to improve. "We suffered all kinds of injustice at the hands of the former regime, ISIS and the SDF,” commented Mohammed Othman. Another resident, Ahmed al-Bush, said that locals hope for 'a civil state' that is 'governed by law, not by individuals'. “Long live a free and united Syria, from north to south and from west to east,” he declared. SDF withdrew from Raqqa late Sunday in accordance with the ceasefire agreement with the country's interim government, which provides for an administrative and military handover of the provinces of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa to state control. Syrian media reported that internal security forces affiliated with the interim government began deploying in Raqqa shortly after the agreement was announced, following days of violent clashes between the two sides. The developments come after SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced the withdrawal of his forces from contact lines east of Aleppo to areas east of the Euphrates, as part of a redeployment process based on mediation efforts and calls from friendly countries. The move aims to facilitate integration and to comply with the March 10 agreement. This announcement followed the signing by president Ahmed al-Sharaa of a decree preparing an eight-article constitutional framework guaranteeing Kurdish rights, including the right to learn the Kurdish language, recognition of Kurdish as a national language, the revival of Kurdish heritage and the celebration of cultural holidays. On March 10, 2025 Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement stipulating the integration of all civil and military institutions affiliated with the autonomous administration into the framework of the Syrian state by the end of 2025, although this deadline slipped. "