Ceasefire reached in Aleppo after SDF - Regime clashes
3 Min Read
A fragile ceasefire was reached in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods after fierce clashes between new regime forces and the US-backed SDF left casualties on both sides.
-
Syrian new regime forces are seen here, deployed in the Al-Midan neighborhood of Aleppo Governorate. (SANA)
A ceasefire has been reached in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo after intense clashes between the transitional forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which left casualties on both sides and heightened tensions across northern Syria.
According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, the agreement was reached following extensive efforts to restore stability after several days of heavy exchanges between the two sides. The truce follows what observers described as one of the fiercest flare-ups in Aleppo in months.
Escalation
Clashes erupted over the weekend after new regime forces attempted to advance into Kurdish-controlled areas of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. SANA reported that SDF units opened fire on Internal Security checkpoints, killing one member of the Internal Security Forces and wounding three others. Heavy machine-gun and mortar fire struck nearby residential zones, including the Al-Ardir Bridge area, injuring several civilians.
The SDF, however, denied responsibility for the attack. Citing its own sources, the SDF-linked Hawar News Agency accused transitional troops of escalating the situation by deploying armored vehicles and using tear gas to disperse protests that erupted after neighborhood entry points were sealed off by General Security units. The outlet reported that several civilians suffered from suffocation and panic as mortar shells hit populated blocks.
Witnesses told local media that all seven access routes into the two neighborhoods were closed, effectively placing the Kurdish-held areas under lockdown. Residents were reportedly warned that "anyone who leaves will not be allowed to return," signaling an enforced isolation of both districts.
Army redeployments and official statements
The Syrian Ministry of Defense under the transitional government announced Monday that its forces were being redeployed along several northern frontlines facing SDF-held areas. It claimed the move was part of a broader plan "to prevent repeated attacks and attempts by the Kurdish-led group to seize territory."
In its official statement, the ministry described the redeployments as a response to "repeated assaults by the SDF against civilians, soldiers, and security personnel," asserting that there were "no plans to launch military operations."
SDF denial and accusations of provocation
SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami rejected those claims, blaming the transitional forces for initiating the confrontation. "What is happening in Aleppo is a direct result of provocations by government factions and their attempts to advance with tanks," he wrote on Facebook.
He added that the ongoing blockade of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh amounted to "a dangerous escalation that will worsen the suffering of local residents," and reiterated that the SDF maintains no active combat units in the area.
Civilian toll and local fallout
The fighting prompted evacuations of several families and left visible destruction across parts of the two neighborhoods. New regime security units later confirmed relocating residents from zones directly affected by shelling. Local monitors described scenes of chaos as exchanges of fire rattled homes and shops.
Dozens of families reportedly fled to safer areas in central Aleppo, while humanitarian workers warned of worsening conditions inside the sealed neighborhoods, where food and medical supplies are increasingly scarce.
Read more: United Nations: 70% of Syrian residents in need of humanitarian aid
