Syria’s Defence Ministry has announced a ceasefire in parts of Aleppo after three days of heavy fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters, a confrontation that displaced tens of thousands of residents and underscored the fragile state of negotiations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In a statement, the ministry said armed groups had six hours to leave several contested neighbourhoods, including Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh. But in the hours after the announcement, there were no immediate signs of fighters withdrawing, while a local Kurdish council rejected calls for combatants to leave. The SDF did not immediately comment publicly on the ceasefire declaration.
The clashes erupted on Tuesday with exchanges of shelling and drone strikes and quickly disrupted daily life in Syria’s largest city. Residents described nights of fear followed by a cautious reopening of shops as calm returned to some streets. “We had a very difficult night… Hopefully things will get better after the ceasefire now,” said Radwan Hamadi, who told reporters he had reopened his shop to resume work. Another resident, Ahmed Hajjar, welcomed the ceasefire but appealed for checkpoints to be lifted, saying delays were choking movement and trade for small businesses.
International concern has grown as displacement soared. Reuters reporters and aid-linked updates described streams of civilians leaving affected districts, with Syrian forces transferring people to temporary shelters as the confrontation expanded. More than 140,000 people have been displaced, according to Reuters and AP reporting.
The Aleppo fighting has been closely tied to a political deadlock over how Kurdish forces should be integrated into Syria’s post-war security architecture. AP reported that clashes broke out after talks stalled on merging SDF-linked forces into the national army, with Syrian security forces later regaining control of parts of Achrafieh and other areas.
While Damascus has presented the ceasefire as a step toward restoring order, the standoff has also highlighted the risk of renewed urban conflict at a moment when Syria’s leadership is seeking to project stability and national unity.
