The Syrian government has announced a ceasefire in several districts of the northern city of Aleppo following days of deadly clashes with Kurdish fighters. The ceasefire was declared on Friday, according to Syria’s Ministry of Defense.
In a statement, the ministry said the truce would take effect in the Sheikh Maqsoud, al-Ashrafiyah, and Bani Zaid neighborhoods in an effort to prevent further escalation in residential areas. The ceasefire came into force at 3:00 a.m. local time.
Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported that armed groups involved in the fighting were given a deadline until 9:00 a.m. Friday to withdraw from the area in order to bring an end to the military confrontation.
The Syrian Defense Ministry said the primary objective of the ceasefire is to enable civilians displaced by the fighting to return safely to their homes in a stable environment and to help restore normal life.
Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib told the state news agency SANA that he inspected security arrangements in the Ashrafiyah district following the announcement of the ceasefire.
There was no immediate official response from Kurdish forces after the truce was declared.
Government troops have been engaged in fighting with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo. At least 21 people have been killed in the clashes over the past few days, according to reports.
The SDF controls vast areas of Syria’s oil-rich north and northeast and played a key role in reclaiming those territories from the Islamic State (IS) group in 2019.
Meanwhile, an agreement aimed at integrating Kurdish administrative and military structures into the Syrian state remains effectively suspended. Against this backdrop, fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters erupted on Tuesday, with both sides blaming each other for triggering the violence.
Analysts say this marks the deadliest confrontation in Aleppo since Islamist leader al-Sharaa came to power. The clashes have also brought renewed attention to regional tensions involving Turkey, a key ally of Damascus, and Israel, which has condemned attacks against Kurdish forces.
The international community is now closely watching whether the ceasefire holds and whether it opens the door to progress toward a political settlement.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Arab News.