Syrian forces detain 300 Kurds as over 400 SDF fighters evacuated from Aleppo

Aleppo clashes and evacuations

Syrian government forces detained about 300 Kurds and evacuated more than 400 Kurdish fighters and wounded from Aleppo’s last Kurdish-held district after days of intense fighting, the interior ministry said. Officials reported roughly 360 fighters and 60 wounded were bussed to the Kurdish-administered northeast from Sheikh Maqsoud as state media declared operations in the neighbourhood complete. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said a ceasefire agreement secured the withdrawal of fighters, wounded and trapped civilians; both sides have blamed the other for igniting the clashes, which followed stalled talks over integrating Kurdish forces into the country’s new government. At least 21 civilians were reported killed and Aleppo’s governor said some 155,000 people fled their homes, amid warnings the fighting could draw in regional actors such as Turkey and Israel.

US-led strikes on Islamic State

Separately, US and allied forces conducted what they described as "large-scale" strikes across Syria under Operation Hawkeye Strike in response to a 13 December attack in Palmyra that killed three Americans (two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter). US Central Command said the strikes targeted Islamic State capabilities across Syria to prevent the group from regrouping; Jordan reported it participated alongside coalition partners. International calls followed for a return to political dialogue, with US envoys urging restraint and mediation to halt further escalation, as reported by The Guardian