CEREMONIAL fires were lit across Baghouz on Saturday as Kurds celebrated their new year by announcing the final defeat of jihadists in their last stronghold in northern Syria.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Mustafa Bali said: “Baghouz is free and the military victory against Daesh has been achieved,” announcing the end of the four-year battle to defeat Isis.

SDF fighters embraced and danced the Dabke, a traditional fold dance, as they unfurled their distinctive yellow flag from buildings across Baghouz in celebration.

The defeat marked the end for the so-called caliphate which once spread 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) of territory stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq, with the jihadists extending their reign of terror over almost eight million people.

SDF Commander Mazloum Kobani told crowds at the Omar oilfields near Baghouz that they had freed “five million people from terrorism.”

For the Kurds, attention shifts to the future of the region ,with President Bashar al-Assad declaring last week that he would take SDF-held areas by forces if necessary.

In a televised ceremony Mr Kobani called on Damascus to recognise the semi-autonomous largely Kurdish areas known as the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.

“We call on the central government in Damascus to prefer the process of dialogue and start practical steps to reach a political solution based on the recognition of elected self-administrations in north-east of Syria and acceptance of the special nature of the Syrian Democratic Forces,” he said.

Despite the defeat of the caliphate the SDF said it was ready to fight Isis sleeper cells with the group expected to continue guerilla attacks across the region as it tries to maintain a jihadist network.