Kurdish Fighters Leave Aleppo After Internationally Brokered Ceasefire

Overview

The last Kurdish fighters have withdrawn from Aleppo under a ceasefire reached in the early hours of Sunday, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi said. The agreement, brokered through international mediation, allowed the safe evacuation of fighters, the wounded and trapped civilians; buses were seen leaving the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood, local media reported.

The recent clashes began after talks to integrate Kurdish forces into Syria's state structures stalled, leaving at least 12 people dead and displacing tens of thousands from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. The Syrian army designated those areas “closed military zones” and shelled them, while the SDF — which denies a military presence in Aleppo — called the actions a criminal attempt to forcibly displace residents. The latest ceasefire was mediated by the US and other powers amid concern the stand-off could draw in Turkey; US envoy Tom Barrack met Syria's president and urged restraint and a return to dialogue as the integration deal from March 2025 remains unimplemented. as reported by BBC

This story has also been reported by: Al Jazeera, New York Times