The truce follows days of fighting that killed at least 21 people, amid stalled negotiations to integrate Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian army.
DAMASCUS — Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire in several Aleppo neighborhoods on Friday, following several days of intense clashes with Kurdish-led forces that left at least 21 people dead.
The ceasefire, which took effect at 3:00 a.m. local time, covers the predominantly Kurdish districts of Sheikh Maqsoud, Alashrafieh, and Bani Zeid. In a statement, the ministry said the truce was intended “to prevent any slide toward a new military escalation within residential neighborhoods.”
The fighting broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking some of the worst violence in Aleppo since Syrian government forces retook the city in 2016. Each side has blamed the other for initiating the hostilities.
The clashes come amid stalled progress on a longstanding agreement to integrate the SDF and the Kurdish civilian administration into the Syrian state—a key point of tension between Damascus and the Kurdish-led authorities in northeast Syria.
The escalation has also drawn regional concern, highlighting the complex web of alliances involving Turkey, a supporter of Syrian rebels and an opponent of Kurdish militias, and Israel, which has previously voiced support for Kurdish groups as a counterbalance to Iranian influence.
No further details were immediately provided regarding the duration of the ceasefire or whether it would lead to renewed political talks.
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