ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The ministry of defense of Syria announced a ceasefire early Friday in several northern Aleppo neighborhoods amid heightened military tensions, calling on the Kurdish forces - which it labels them as "armed groups" - to withdraw by a set deadline.
In a statement early Friday, the ministry said the move comes “out of a complete commitment to the safety of our civilian people in the city of Aleppo, and to prevent any slide toward a new military escalation within residential neighborhoods.”
According to the statement, a ceasefire has been declared “in the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsood, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zaid neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, effective as of 03:00 am.” The ministry requested that “armed groups in the three neighborhoods are requested to leave the area starting from 03:00 am; the deadline expires at 09:00 am tomorrow, Friday.”
The ministry said departing fighters will be allowed to carry “only their individual light weapons,” adding that “the Syrian Arab Army pledges to provide an escort and guarantee their safe passage until they reach areas in the northeast of the country.”
The statement comes amid escalating tensions in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in northern Aleppo after the Syrian Arab Army and its affiliated factions attacked the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) - affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF) - who have been deployed to the neighborhoods since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Over the past three days, at least 20 people have been killed and 75 others have been injured, according to local officials.
The defense ministry stressed that the decision is intended “to end the military state in these neighborhoods, paving the way for the restoration of the rule of law and official institutions.”
It added that the measure also aims “to enable residents who were forced to leave their homes to return and resume their normal lives in an atmosphere of security and stability.”
The statement urged “all concerned parties to strictly adhere to the specified deadline to ensure the safety of everyone and to prevent any field clashes.”
According to the ministry, the withdrawal process will be overseen by security bodies, stating that “the internal security forces, in coordination with the Operations Authority of the Syrian Arab Army, will manage the mechanism for the withdrawal of armed groups from the neighborhoods toward northeastern Syria.”