Syrian Defence Minister Announces Broad Ceasefire with Kurdish Forces After Aleppo Clashes
As-salamu alaykum, everyone. Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra shared that he reached an agreement for a comprehensive ceasefire with the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during a meeting in Damascus on Tuesday afternoon. This truce, effective immediately, followed a night of heavy fighting in Aleppo-the first major urban conflict between the two sides since the new government took charge.
The ceasefire covers the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, predominantly Kurdish areas of Aleppo, Syria’s commercial hub and second-largest city, currently under SDF control. Tensions had been rising in Aleppo for days, home to tens of thousands of Kurds and a city that had over two million residents before the civil war began in 2011. Attempts to broker a Kurdish withdrawal from these areas, including US-mediated talks, had repeatedly failed. The Kurdish militia had emphasized their presence was for defense.
This renewed ceasefire comes amidst US efforts to revive a March 10 agreement between President Ahmad Al Shara and Mazloum Abdi, head of the SDF, which still holds control over significant parts of northern and eastern Syria despite changes in government.
Sadly, clashes resulted in the loss of at least one member of Syria’s domestic security forces and a civilian, according to Syrian state media. An overnight curfew has since been lifted, but residents described sounds of gunfire and artillery in the Kurdish neighborhoods, with Asayish (the Kurdish internal security forces) responding with heavy machine gun fire.
One woman living near the Aleppo National Museum shared that artillery was fired so close to her home it was terrifying. A UN worker in Aleppo reported that staff were asked to work from home, with government offices and schools closed.
Aleppo’s governor, Azzam Al Ghareeb, assured that government forces are not seeking to escalate militarily. The recent violence occurred shortly after parliamentary elections that brought supporters of Mr Al Shara to the legislature.
Mr Al Shara previously led Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group that separated from Al Qaeda and removed the former regime in December, but he has yet to reach agreements with various religious and ethnic minorities, including the Kurds, who make up about 10% of Syria’s population.
Other groups, like the Druze in southern Syria and Alawite areas along the coast, have also resisted the current administration’s control. The SDF continues to manage regions producing most of Syria’s energy, electricity, and commodities.
US envoy Thomas Barrack recently met with Mr Abdi in eastern Syria and may travel to Damascus to facilitate dialogue between the parties. Previous attempts to bring them together have faced challenges, mainly due to SDF’s refusal to disband, a goal of Mr Al Shara, who is allied with Turkey. Turkey views the SDF as connected to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
May Allah grant peace and stability to Syria and protect all its people from harm.
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