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Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire connected Friday (January 9, 2026) aft 3 days of clashes betwixt authorities forces and Kurdish fighters successful the bluish metropolis of Aleppo that displaced tens of thousands of people.
The connection said the ceasefire was effectual astatine 3 a.m. successful the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid and gave equipped groups six hours to permission the area.
It said departing militants would beryllium allowed to transportation their “personal airy weapons” and would beryllium provided with an escort to the country’s northeast, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib toured the contested neighbourhoods with an escort of information forces overnight.
There was nary contiguous nationalist effect from the SDF, and it was not wide if Kurdish forces successful Aleppo had agreed to the deal.
U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack welcomed the announcement successful a connection connected X and extended “profound gratitude to each parties — the Syrian Government, the Syrian Democratic Forces, section authorities, and assemblage leaders — for the restraint and goodwill that made this captious intermission possible.”
Mr. Barrack said the U.S. was moving with the parties to widen the ceasefire beyond the six-hour deadline.
Some 142,000 radical person been displaced by the fighting, which broke retired connected Tuesday (January 6) with exchanges of shelling and drone strikes.
Each broadside has accused the different of starting the unit and of deliberately targeting civilian neighbourhoods and infrastructure, including ambulance crews and hospitals.
Kurdish forces said astatine slightest 12 civilians were killed successful the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods, portion authorities officials reported astatine slightest 9 civilians were killed successful the surrounding government-controlled areas successful the fighting.
Dozens much connected some sides person been wounded. It was not wide however galore fighters were killed connected each side.
The clashes travel amid an impasse successful governmental negotiations betwixt the cardinal State and the SDF.
The enactment successful Damascus nether interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa had signed a woody successful March past twelvemonth with the SDF, which controls overmuch of the northeast, for it to merge with the Syrian service by the extremity of 2025. There person been disagreements connected however it would happen.
Some of the factions that marque up the caller Syrian army, formed aft the autumn of erstwhile President Bashar Assad successful a rebel violative successful December 2024, were antecedently Turkey-backed insurgent groups that person a agelong past of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The SDF has for years been the main U.S. spouse successful Syria successful warring against the Islamic State group, but Turkey considers the SDF a violent organisation due to the fact that of its relation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, oregon PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency successful Turkey. A bid process is present underway.
Despite the long-running U.S. enactment for the SDF, the Trump medication successful the U.S. has besides developed adjacent ties with al-Sharaa’s authorities and has pushed the Kurds to instrumentality the March deal.
U.S. welcomes ceasefire
Mr. Barrack connected Friday (January 9) welcomed a ceasefire successful the metropolis of Aleppo aft days of deadly warring betwixt the service and Kurdish fighters forced thousands of civilians to flee.
“The United States warmly welcomes the impermanent ceasefire achieved past nighttime successful Aleppo’s Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods and extends profound gratitude to each parties – the Syrian government, the Syrian Democratic Forces, section authorities, and assemblage leaders -- for the restraint and goodwill that made this captious intermission possible,” Mr. Barrack wrote connected X.
(with inputs from AP and AFP)
