Aleppo – On Sunday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the withdrawal of their fighters from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo, following several days of clashes with government forces.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement, the SDF said, “We have reached an understanding that leads to a ceasefire and ensures the evacuation of the wounded, civilians, and fighters from Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud to northern and eastern Syria.”
The Syrian state news agency, SANA, confirmed the departure, reporting that buses carrying the last group of SDF members from Sheikh Maqsoud were heading toward northern and eastern Syria.
Conflicting reports had emerged from the city on Saturday. Authorities announced a halt to the fighting and the beginning of evacuating Kurdish fighters from Aleppo to areas under the Autonomous Administration, while the SDF quickly denied that announcement.
The clashes began on Tuesday between Kurdish forces and the Syrian army in the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods. According to official figures from both sides, at least 21 civilians were killed, and around 155,000 people were displaced from the two neighborhoods, according to the Aleppo governor.
The fighting unfolded amid stalled negotiations between Damascus and the SDF, following an agreement to integrate the Kurdish autonomous administration institutions into the Syrian state framework.
The SDF indicated that the withdrawal was carried out “through international mediation to stop attacks and violations against our people in Aleppo.”
The announcement came after U.S. envoy Tom Barrett met on Saturday with transitional Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharrah, calling on “all parties to exercise maximum restraint and immediately halt hostilities.”
