Syrian Defense Ministry announces ceasefire, militant exit in Aleppo

The Syrian government announced a ceasefire in parts of Aleppo early Friday following several days of deadly clashes with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

“To prevent any slide towards a new military escalation within residential neighborhoods, the Ministry of Defence announces … a ceasefire in the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsoud, Alashrafieh, and Bani Zeid neighbourhoods of Aleppo, effective from 3:00 am,” the Syrian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ceasefire will take effect in Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods of Aleppo, effective from 3:00 AM local time, as part of a broader plan to de-escalate the military situation in the area.

According to the Ministry, internal security forces, in coordination with the Syrian army, are overseeing the organization of a mechanism to facilitate the withdrawal of armed groups from these neighborhoods toward northeastern Syria. The goal of the measure is to restore stability and prepare for the return of the rule of law in the affected areas.

Syrian gov, SDF trade blame over Aleppo clashes; death toll rises
Kurds are a fundamental and authentic component of the Syrian people, and the state views them as full partners in the nation rather than a separate group or exceptional case, the Syrian government affirmed on Thursday.

In remarks addressing the latest developments in Aleppo, the government said it was the Syrian state that secured and protected displaced Kurds alongside Arab residents, providing shelter and basic services as part of its national and humanitarian responsibility, with the aim of ensuring their safe and dignified return to their areas.

The government emphasized that resolving the situation does not come through what it described as “worn-out media rhetoric” or mutual accusations, but through recourse to state institutions, which it said remain the sole guarantor of national unity and the protection of all citizens.

SDF chief criticizes military operations in Aleppo
Earlier on Thursday, the general commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, warned that the ongoing attacks on Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods endanger civilians, threaten demographic changes, and undermine efforts to reach a ceasefire.

In a statement on Thursday, Abdi criticized the continuation of military operations in Aleppo, saying, “Pursuing the path of fighting and the language of war to impose unilateral solutions is unacceptable, and in the past has led to massacres that rose to the level of war crimes in the Syrian coast and Sweida.”

He condemned the deployment of heavy weapons in civilian areas, stating, “The deployment of tanks and artillery in the neighborhoods of Aleppo, shelling of unarmed civilians and displacing them, and attempts to storm Kurdish neighborhoods during negotiations undermine the chances of reaching understandings, create conditions for serious demographic changes, and put civilians trapped in the neighborhoods at risk of massacres.”

Abdi emphasized the SDF’s support for residents, saying, “While we stand with our people in Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafieh, we have been working for days with all parties to stop these attacks.”

He concluded by offering condolences and support, stating, “We extend our sincere condolences and deep sympathy to the families of the martyrs and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded.”