Syrian forces, Kurdish Asayish reach internationally brokered ceasefire in Aleppo

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An internationally mediated ceasefire agreement has been reached between Syrian state forces and the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) to “halt attacks and violations in Aleppo,” the chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is affiliated with the Asayish, announced Sunday.

In an early morning statement on X, Abdi said that, “with mediation by international parties to halt the attacks and violations against our people in Aleppo, we have reached an understanding that leads to a ceasefire and ensures the evacuation of the martyrs, wounded, stranded civilians, and fighters from the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods [in northern Aleppo] to North and East Syria [Rojava].”

“We call on the mediators to uphold their promises to stop the violations and to work toward the safe return of the displaced to their homes,” the SDF commander added.

He also extended his “deepest respect and tribute” to the “resistance fighters of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh,” and offered “condolences to ourselves, as we do to the families of the martyrs and to our people.”

Deadly clashes erupted in Aleppo’s Kurdish quarters on Tuesday between Syrian state forces and affiliated armed groups and the Asayish.

The Syrian Arab Army said on Saturday that it had concluded its operation after taking control of both neighborhoods - a claim rejected by the Kurdish forces, who said fighting was still ongoing in Sheikh Maqsood.

Abdi’s statement comes a day after the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) in Rojava announced early Saturday that it welcomes an offer to transfer Kurdish fighters from Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods to the Kurdish-led enclave.

In a statement on X, Elham Ahmad, co-chair of foreign affairs for DAANES, said the administration “welcomes the proposal of the international mediating forces to safely reposition the forces” in Sheikh Maqsood to Rojava, “provided that local Kurdish protection and a council for the residents of the two neighborhoods are ensured.”

The ceasefire follows fighting that has left at least 82 people dead, including 43 civilians, 38 government-aligned fighters, and at least one Asayish member, according to a Sunday report by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which relies on a network of sources across Syria.

The Syrian government has also said that approximately 155,000 people have been displaced from the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods since the fighting began on Tuesday.

The mass displacement of predominantly Kurdish residents - including those who were previously displaced to Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood from Afrin in 2018 - has sparked accusations that Damascus is pursuing a demographic-alteration agenda.

In a Wednesday statement, President Masoud Barzani warned that “the dangerous situation, ongoing fighting, and violence” in Aleppo indicate “a risk of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in the area.”

He urged the Syrian government “not to turn political disagreements into ethnic conflict,” cautioning that such actions could lead to “pressure, oppression, displacement from ancestral lands, or ethnic cleansing of Kurdish citizens.”

Notably, President Barzani and US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack discussed the situation in Aleppo during a Friday phone call. According to a statement from the Kurdish leader’s office, they emphasized “the need to make every effort to prevent the continuation of tensions and unrest, restore normal conditions, and take serious steps toward achieving security, stability, and peace.”

Earlier that day, President Barzani also spoke with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa by phone, emphasizing Kurdish rights, the importance of inclusion, and the need to maintain social peace in Syria.

Last updated at 8:40 am.