ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) announced early Saturday that they welcome an offer to transfer Kurdish fighters from a Kurdish-majority quarter in Aleppo to Rojava given that the Kurdish population in the area are protected.
Elham Ahmad, the co-chair of Rojava’s foreign affairs, published a statement on behalf of the Kurdish administration that they welcome a proposal offered by international mediators to end the ongoing violence in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods but demand the protection of Kurds.
“We welcome the proposal of the international mediating forces to reposition the forces present in Sheikh Maqsood to the east of the Euphrates in a safe manner, provided that local Kurdish protection and a local council for the residents of the two neighborhoods are ensured, in accordance with the April 1 agreement,” read the statement, referring to an agreement between Kurdish authorities and Damascus.
The development comes after days of clashes between the Asayish and the Syrian Arab Army in both Kurdish neighborhoods. Ashrafiyeh has partially fallen under army control, while Sheikh Maqsoud remains under Asayish control.
A brief ceasefire brokered by the US and France collapsed on Friday.
The escalation comes despite a landmark agreement reached in March between Damascus and the SDF that established a nationwide ceasefire. Talks between the two sides are ongoing, but the latest round, held on Sunday, failed to produce tangible results, according to Syrian state media.
Updated at 2:06 am