"We welcome the ceasefire deal," the foreign ministry said, after Syrian government troops advanced across Kurdish-held areas of the country's north and east.

France "firmly supports Syria's unity and integrity", the ministry added.

And "it remains loyal to those with whom it fought against IS", it said, referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who battled the jihadist group with support from an international coalition including France.

France urged all sides to respect the ceasefire deal, which should also see the Kurdish administration and SDF integrate into the state after months of stalled negotiations.