Syrian army and SDF reach ceasefire deal in Aleppo city following clashes
(Reuters) -The Syrian army and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached a ceasefire agreement in two districts of Aleppo City, Syrian state news agency Sana reported on Tuesday, after an increase in tensions between the two sides.
The Syrian army has redeployed to several front lines with the Kurdish-led group in northeastern Syria, the Ministry of Defense said on Monday.
Recent clashes between the two sides have cast a shadow over a landmark agreement signed in March between the Kurdish-led SDF and Syria’s new Islamist-led government to integrate the SDF into state institutions.
The deal aimed to bring together a country broken by 14 years of war and pave the way for Kurdish-led forces, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies, to unite a quarter of Syria with Damascus.
Witnesses said the Syrian army had previously sealed off two neighborhoods in Aleppo, both under SDF control, prompting scattered protests by residents.
Witnesses also reported that sporadic clashes continued on the outskirts of two Kurdish-run neighborhoods, with residents firing from within the districts hitting nearby residential areas.
A security source said a security guard was killed in an attack. Kurdish fighters associated with the SDF said they repelled an attack by government forces. Dozens of families in two neighborhoods fled for safety, two residents said.
SDF calls for lifting of ‘Siege’
SDF spokesman Farhad Shami accused government factions of trying to enter two Kurdish areas of Aleppo with tanks.
He denied the accusations, saying SDF personnel targeted checkpoints and that the group had no forces in the two neighborhoods of Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud.
Farhad said the government’s actions were a dangerous escalation that worsened the situation of local residents.
The SDF has stepped up raids in several majority-Arab towns, saying the operations target Islamic State sleeper cells. The raids, along with a stepped-up campaign to recruit young people for the military invasion, triggered some Arab tribal groups who accused the SDF of discrimination, an accusation the group denies.
U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack and Centcom Commander Adm. Brad Cooper met with SDF Commander General Mazloum Abdi and senior officials in Northeast Syria, Abdi said Monday. The talks focused on accelerating the implementation of the March agreement with Damascus.
Sporadic clashes have accelerated in recent days, with both Damascus and the SDF accusing each other of provocations.
The March agreement, which we patronized after Bashar al-Assad’s inauguration in December, sought to fold Kurdish-led forces into Syria’s institutions and hand key assets, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields, to Damascus by the end of the year. Progress has since stalled in mutual recriminations.
Washington has also pushed for the Kurds to accelerate negotiations to join Damascus on terms acceptable to both sides. Türkiye also warned of military action if it did not stop the SDF and integrate it into Syria’s state apparatus.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Additional reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Neil Fullick)
