Syria army tightens grip on Raqa

Syria's army took control of swathes of northern Syria and threatened to bomb parts of Raqa province on Saturday after Kurdish forces pulled back from territory they had held for over a decade.

The government appeared to be seeking to extend its grip on parts of the country under Kurdish control a day after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree declaring Kurdish a "national language" and granting the minority official recognition.

The Kurds have said the move fell short of their aspirations.

The army drove Kurdish forces from two Aleppo neighbourhoods last week and took control of an area east of the city on Saturday, after implementation stalled on a March deal that was supposed to see Kurdish forces integrated into the state.

Authorities later announced they had seized two oil fields near the city of Tabqa in Raqa province.

Syria's army said four soldiers had been killed, while Kurdish forces reported several fighters dead. AFP