Aleppo Ceasefire: Kurdish Forces Withdraw from Syria's Second City Amid Deadly Clashes
In a dramatic turn of events, Syrian Kurdish fighters have agreed to withdraw from the besieged city of Aleppo after days of intense fighting with government forces. The ceasefire was brokered by international parties, according to a statement released by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The agreement comes as both sides claimed responsibility for starting the clashes on Tuesday, which have left at least 21 civilians dead and 155,000 people displaced from their homes. The fighting has been particularly intense since Syria's president Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December.
As part of the ceasefire, Kurdish forces are expected to vacate the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood, where state media reported that Syrian military operations had concluded. Buses carrying surrendered fighters, civilians, and wounded personnel have already departed from the area, bound for northern Syria.
The SDF initially denied reports of their withdrawal, describing the bus transfers as forced displacement of civilians. However, an AFP correspondent witnessed at least five buses on Saturday carrying men out of Sheikh Maqsud, although identities were not independently verified.
The United States and European Union have called for a return to political dialogue between the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities, which had stalled in March due to disagreements over integration framework.
Meanwhile, fears of regional escalation continue to mount, with Turkey ready to intervene on behalf of the Syrian government. Israel has sided with the Kurdish forces, adding to the complexities of the conflict.
As civilians struggle to return home, families who had been trapped by the fighting are now leaving the area, often under the accompaniment of Syrian security forces. Young men, suspected fighters, were separated from the crowd and taken to unknown detention centers, sparking concerns about human rights abuses.
The Aleppo crisis has raised questions about Syria's commitment to protecting minorities, following sectarian bloodshed in Alawite and Druze communities last year. The Syrian government has faced criticism for its handling of the conflict, with some analysts warning of further instability if the situation does not improve soon.
In the wake of the fighting, international pressure is mounting on all parties involved to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
In a dramatic turn of events, Syrian Kurdish fighters have agreed to withdraw from the besieged city of Aleppo after days of intense fighting with government forces. The ceasefire was brokered by international parties, according to a statement released by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The agreement comes as both sides claimed responsibility for starting the clashes on Tuesday, which have left at least 21 civilians dead and 155,000 people displaced from their homes. The fighting has been particularly intense since Syria's president Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December.
As part of the ceasefire, Kurdish forces are expected to vacate the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood, where state media reported that Syrian military operations had concluded. Buses carrying surrendered fighters, civilians, and wounded personnel have already departed from the area, bound for northern Syria.
The SDF initially denied reports of their withdrawal, describing the bus transfers as forced displacement of civilians. However, an AFP correspondent witnessed at least five buses on Saturday carrying men out of Sheikh Maqsud, although identities were not independently verified.
The United States and European Union have called for a return to political dialogue between the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities, which had stalled in March due to disagreements over integration framework.
Meanwhile, fears of regional escalation continue to mount, with Turkey ready to intervene on behalf of the Syrian government. Israel has sided with the Kurdish forces, adding to the complexities of the conflict.
As civilians struggle to return home, families who had been trapped by the fighting are now leaving the area, often under the accompaniment of Syrian security forces. Young men, suspected fighters, were separated from the crowd and taken to unknown detention centers, sparking concerns about human rights abuses.
The Aleppo crisis has raised questions about Syria's commitment to protecting minorities, following sectarian bloodshed in Alawite and Druze communities last year. The Syrian government has faced criticism for its handling of the conflict, with some analysts warning of further instability if the situation does not improve soon.
In the wake of the fighting, international pressure is mounting on all parties involved to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
it's a mess, but at the same time i guess that's what happens when we try to impose order on chaos. and now with turkey and israel getting involved... it's like we're just piling more fuel onto this fire without even thinking about the consequences. maybe the international parties should just sit down and talk to each other for once, instead of trying to control everything from outside? 
And Israel siding with the Kurds? What about their own interests? Are we supposed to forget that they've got their own conflicts going on in the region?
do we really think that diplomacy is gonna cut it when the real issue is people's lives on the ground? 
I mean, 155,000 people displaced... can you even imagine having to leave your home like that? it's like, where's the humanity in all this? 
and now we're hearing about human rights abuses? 
it just feels like we're stuck in some kind of never-ending nightmare. 
... like seriously 155,000 people displaced? It's just crazy! I feel for the families who have been living through this trauma, you know? They're trying to rebuild their lives and it's just getting more complicated with all these different parties involved. The US and EU are calling for a dialogue, but what's happening on the ground is so bloody messy 
. I mean, Israel siding with the Kurds is interesting, but at this point it feels like nobody's side is truly winning. Can't we just get some peace and stability over here? 
... I draw the picture:
, but we need to make sure that everyone's rights are protected 
. I draw another picture:
. And what really worries me is that there are so many unknowns - who's really in charge here? What are the international players trying to achieve?
Aleppo's still being bombed & 155k people have no homes left 
turkey's ready to jump in on gov side & israel's backing the Kurds, hows this gonna end?