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The Syrian defense ministry declared a truce in Aleppo on Friday, following several days of violent confrontations between the military and Kurdish forces that led to thousands of residents evacuating the area.

Twenty-one individuals lost their lives due to the violence, marking another obstacle for a nation still endeavoring to establish a new direction following the removal of long-standing leader Bashar al-Assad by Islamist authorities more than a year ago.

Starting from Tuesday, government troops have been engaging in combat with the US-supported Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, the nation’s second-largest city.

Each side has exchanged accusations about who initiated the conflict, as they face challenges in executing an agreement to integrate the Kurds’ administration and military into the nation’s new government.

The SDF holds large areas of Syria’s oil-rich northern and northeastern regions, and played a crucial role in the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria in 2019.

“To avoid any movement toward a new military conflict in residential areas, the Ministry of Defence has declared a ceasefire near the Sheikh Maqsud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods in Aleppo, starting at 3:00 am,” the ministry stated in a release.

Kurdish fighters were given until 9:00 am on Friday (0600 GMT) to vacate those regions, while the Aleppo governorate stated that Kurdish fighters would be relocated, along with their small arms, to Kurdish areas further to the east.

The purpose of the truce is to enable people who were forced to leave their homes due to the conflict to “return and restart their everyday lives in a safe and stable environment,” according to the defense ministry.

The leader of Aleppo, Azzam al-Gharib, stated to the official SANA news agency that he had reviewed the security measures in the Ashrafiyeh district.

No immediate reaction was received from Kurdish forces regarding the government’s statements.

The United States acknowledged the ceasefire through a statement on X from its representative Tom Barrack.

He mentioned that Washington aimed for “a more lasting peace and greater conversation” and was “actively striving to prolong this truce and atmosphere of mutual understanding.”

– ‘Opposition to war’ –

An AFP reporter stated that intense combat continued throughout Thursday night in the Kurdish-majority areas of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud.

The Syrian armed forces had directed residents in those areas to evacuate via humanitarian routes before commencing the operation.

State-run television stated that approximately 16,000 individuals had left the area.

“We have experienced very challenging times… my children were scared,” said Rana Issa, 43, whose family left Ashrafiyeh earlier on Thursday.

“Many people wish to depart,” but they are fearful of the snipers, she said to AFP.

Mazloum Abdi, the head of the SDF, stated that assaults on Kurdish regions “harm the prospects of achieving agreements,” following his recent trip to Damascus for discussions regarding the March integration deal.

The deal was supposed to be put into action last year, yet disagreements, such as Kurdish calls for a more autonomous administration, have slowed things down.

Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh continue to be under the jurisdiction of Kurdish forces affiliated with the SDF, even though Kurdish combatants had previously consented to leave these regions in April.

Turkey, which has a 900-kilometre (550-mile) border with Syria, has conducted multiple campaigns to drive Kurdish troops away from the border.

Aron Lund, a researcher at the Century International research center, stated to AFP that “Aleppo is the SDF’s most vulnerable region.”

“Each side continues to exert pressure on the other and seek global backing,” he stated.

He cautioned that if the fighting escalates, “a complete Damascus-SDF conflict throughout northern Syria, possibly involving Turkish and Israeli forces, could severely impact Syria’s stability.”

Israel and Turkey have been competing for power in Syria since Assad’s downfall in December 2024.

In Qamishli, located in the Kurdish-controlled northeast, hundreds of individuals have demonstrated against the violence in Aleppo.

We urge the global community to step in,” stated protester Salaheddin Sheikhmous, 61, as others displayed signs that said “against war” and “against ethnic cleansing.

In Turkey, hundreds of individuals participated in demonstrations in Diyarbakir, a region with a significant Kurdish population.

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