Syria’s defense ministry announced a ceasefire in Aleppo on Friday following days of intense urban warfare that displaced thousands of residents. The violence claimed 21 lives and represents the most significant challenge for the new administration since ousting Bashar Al-Assad.
Government forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have battled for control of the nation’s second city since Tuesday. Consequently, the defense ministry declared a halt to hostilities in the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods starting at 3:00 am.
“To prevent any slide towards a new military escalation within residential neighbourhoods, the Ministry of Defence announces a ceasefire,” the official statement read.
Authorities gave Kurdish fighters until 9:00 am to vacate these districts and relocate toward eastern territories with their light weaponry. The defense ministry emphasized that the truce allows displaced families “to return and resume their normal lives in an atmosphere of security.”
Stalled Integration and Regional Risks
This latest conflict highlights the fragility of a March agreement intended to merge Kurdish military units into the national army. Although the SDF proved essential in defeating the Islamic State, the group now disputes the government’s demands for total centralization.
Mazloum Abdi, leader of the SDF, warned that recent attacks on Kurdish districts “undermine the chances of reaching understandings” between factions. Similarly, analyst Aron Lund noted that “Aleppo is the SDF’s most vulnerable area” as both sides struggle for international leverage.
The US welcomed the pause in fighting through a social media post by envoy Tom Barrack on Friday morning, who stated that Washington is “working intensively to extend this ceasefire” while hoping for a more enduring calm and dialogue.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian cost remains high as state television reported that approximately 16,000 civilians fled the violence through designated corridors.
If the ceasefire fails, experts fear a wider conflict involving Turkey and Israel could further devastate the region’s precarious stability. Hundreds of protesters in Qamishli and Turkiye have already gathered to demand an immediate end to the cycle of violence.
