Kurdish-led SDF Fighters Depart Aleppo After Days of Clashes in Syria

Aleppo’s Governor Announces Complete Withdrawal of SDF Fighters

Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib has confirmed that the last fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have left the city, following a ceasefire deal and coordinated withdrawal with government forces. The agreement allowed for the evacuation of civilians and fighters from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods.

According to officials, the SDF had reached an understanding through international mediation on a ceasefire and safe evacuation. The group’s commander, Mazloum Abdi, stated that the agreement would lead to a ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and fighters from the affected areas.

The development comes after days of clashes in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood, which resulted in at least 30 deaths and over 150,000 displacements. The Syrian army took control of the area following the collapse of talks to integrate the SDF into the national army.

US involvement in brokering the agreement has been confirmed, with Al Jazeera reporting that Washington played a key role in facilitating the deal between the SDF and the government.

The fighting in Aleppo began on Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid, amid tensions over a failure to implement an agreement to reintegrate the Kurdish forces into state institutions. The deadline for the deal passed at the end of last year, and the SDF refused to leave areas under its control.

The Syrian president met with US President Donald Trump at the White House last year and has formally joined the US-led coalition against ISIL. The SDF has a large number of fighters, estimated between 50,000 to 90,000, who are mainly in the northeast of the country and control almost a quarter of Syria’s territory.

The outcome of the agreement remains uncertain, with Al Jazeera reporting that the fault line for future conflict remains.

Source: Al Jazeera