Syria’s army has seized key parts of the country’s north, including the city of Tabqa and two large dams west of Raqaa, from Kurdish forces who ruled the area for over a decade. State media confirmed the takeover on Saturday, despite US calls to stop the army’s advance. The government’s move follows a decree by President Ahmed al-Sharaa declaring Kurdish a national language and granting official recognition to the Kurdish minority. The army’s push came after a stalled March 2025 deal aimed to merge Kurdish fighters with the state forces. Last week, government troops ousted Kurdish fighters from two Aleppo neighbourhoods and captured an area east of the city. Tensions rose along the Euphrates River, where Syrian troops encircled Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in villages west of the river. The SDF pulled back early Saturday to honor the agreement but accused Syrian troops of continuing eastward into towns and oilfields outside the deal’s scope. The SDF said Damascus “violated the recent agreements and betrayed our forces.” Clashes broke out south of Tabqa. The army urged the SDF to step back east across the river immediately. US Central Command chief Brad Cooper called on Syrian troops to stop offensives between Aleppo and Tabqa. French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraqi Kurdistan leader Nechirvan Barzani also pushed for a ceasefire. Syrian forces took control of Deir Hafer and nearby villages peacefully, with residents welcoming them. Hussein al-Khalaf, a resident, said, "There’s been enough blood in this country, Syria. We have sacrificed and lost enough – people are tired of it." Nearby oilfields Rasafa and Sufyan were captured by Syrian troops, who plan to restart production. The SDF retreated east but vowed to defend Tabqa and a nearby oilfield when the army said it aimed to capture those areas next. Both sides have reported casualties during the clashes. US-led coalition planes flew over contested areas, dropping warning flares. The US is balancing support between the Kurdish fighters and President Sharaa’s government. US envoy Tom Barrack is visiting Iraq to meet Kurdish leaders and SDF commanders in hopes of ending the fighting. The conflict deepens divisions after 14 years of war and stalled talks to integrate Kurdish forces into Syria’s institutions by the end of 2025. Kurdish authorities still control vital oil and gas regions in Syria’s east. Arab tribal leaders in these areas have expressed readiness to fight the Kurds if ordered by the Syrian army. Worries among Kurds have grown due to recent sectarian violence that killed nearly 1,500 Alawites and hundreds of Druze this year.