Ceasefire Takes Hold in Aleppo After Intense Clashes
A fragile ceasefire is in effect in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo, following several days of intense fighting between government forces and Kurdish-led fighters. The truce, announced by Syria's defense ministry, aims to halt the worst violence the city has seen in over a year, which displaced tens of thousands and resulted in numerous civilian casualties [45816][45441][45496].
The clashes pitted the Syrian Arab Army against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led military alliance backed by the United States [45441][43634]. Fighting was concentrated in the Kurdish-controlled neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid [45816][45415]. The violence marked a significant rupture in a period of relative, though tense, calm in northern Syria [46182][44512].
Under the terms of the ceasefire, which began in the early hours of Friday, SDF fighters are to withdraw from the contested districts with their light weapons and receive safe passage to Kurdish-held areas in northeastern Syria [45816][45562]. Buses were observed entering Sheikh Maqsoud to facilitate the evacuation of fighters, signaling initial compliance with the agreement [45562].
The Syrian defense ministry had set a deadline for armed groups to leave the specified areas, framing the truce as an effort to restore state authority and ensure civilian safety [45415][45451]. For their part, Kurdish security forces in the districts announced they had halted return fire following de-escalation talks [33094].
The sudden outbreak of fighting and the subsequent diplomatic scramble to stop it underscore the complex and unstable landscape of Syria's long-running civil war. Aleppo, the country's largest pre-war city, has been divided into government and Kurdish-controlled zones for years, with both sides maintaining a wary standoff [46182][45451]. While U.S. officials were reported to be involved in mediation efforts [44512], the durability of the current ceasefire remains uncertain as deep-seated tensions between Damascus and the SDF persist [45816][32599].