* Syria Crackdown Intensifies After Kurdish Withdrawal, ISIS Prison Assault Reported

RAQQA, Syria (AP) -⁤ Syrian government troops strengthened their‍ control Monday over⁢ territory relinquished by Kurdish forces, ‌a dramatic shift ⁤consolidating President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule.

After days of fighting, teh ‌Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed Sunday to withdraw from two Arab-majority provinces, ⁤including oil fields, where they⁤ had held control for years.​ The SDF had been a main U.S. ally in Syria.

Clashes continued ⁣monday. The SDF reported an attack on a jail holding thousands of Islamic State ⁤militants in the east,and fighting with ⁢government‍ forces near‌ another IS detention facility near Raqqa. They ‍didn’t identify the attackers.

the Syrian army accused Kurdish forces of⁣ attempting to⁣ sabotage the deal, stating three soldiers were killed in attacks.

The SDF withdrawals represent the largest change in Syria’s control map ⁤since Islamist fighters ​led by Sharaa ⁢ousted President Bashar al-Assad⁢ in 2024.This shift favors Sharaa after months of stalled negotiations with the SDF⁢ regarding full ⁢integration with the government.

Government troops deployed in Raqqa, which the SDF captured from Islamic State‍ in 2017, ‌and at oil and gas facilities ‌in Deir al-Zor ⁣province.

Turkey, which has sent forces ​into northern Syria since 2016⁢ to counter ‍Kurdish influence, welcomed the agreement between Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, expressing hope for increased stability​ and security.

The SDF,primarily ⁤the Kurdish YPG militia,controlled over⁣ a quarter of Syria during the 2011-2024 civil war,fighting with U.S. support against Islamic State. The ⁢United states, now closely aligned‍ with ⁢Sharaa under President Donald ‌Trump, played a key role in mediating the agreement.