ALEPPO,— Kurdish fighters refused to leave Syria’s Aleppo neighborhoods on Friday, rejecting orders from the country’s Islamist interim government to evacuate after it announced a ceasefire following days of deadly clashes that displaced tens of thousands.
Since Tuesday, militias loyal to the interim government have been engaged in heavy fighting with the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city.
The clashes have killed at least 21 people and prompted the flight of around 30,000 families, mostly Kurds, the United Nations reported.
Both sides blamed each other for initiating the violence, which erupted amid stalled efforts to integrate the Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojva) and it de facto army into the new Islamist government framework following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad over a year ago.
The interim government announced a ceasefire Friday, specifying that it would apply to the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods starting at 3 a.m. local time.
Kurdish fighters were given until 9 a.m. to leave the districts and were reportedly to be relocated, along with light weapons, to Kurdish-controlled areas further east.
The Ministry of Defence said in a statement, “To prevent any slide toward a new military escalation within residential neighborhoods, the Ministry of Defence announces a ceasefire in the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods of Aleppo, effective from 3:00 am.”
Hours later, local council leaders in Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh declared that Kurdish fighters would not comply with the evacuation order. The councils described the move as a refusal to surrender and a necessary step to protect their neighborhoods.
“As the leadership of the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh councils, we do not accept pressure on our people and our neighborhoods,” the statement said.
“Given the actions of the Damascus government against Syria’s diverse communities, including indiscriminate bombings and killings in recent days, we cannot hand over our security and our neighborhoods. For this reason, we will remain and defend our districts.”
AFP reporters saw government security forces enter Ashrafiyeh, along with vehicles that appeared to be preparing to evacuate Kurdish fighters, but no major withdrawals occurred.
The United States welcomed the ceasefire. In a post on X, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack called for “a more enduring calm and deeper dialogue” and said Washington was working to extend the truce and maintain a spirit of understanding.
Residents described the recent fighting as terrifying. Rana Issa, 43, who fled Ashrafiyeh with her family on Thursday, said, “We’ve gone through very difficult times. My children were terrified.” She added that many people want to leave but are afraid of snipers.
General Mazloum Abdi, head of the SDF, said that attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods undermine any prospects for reaching agreements.
Abdi had visited Damascus earlier this week for discussions on a planned March deal to integrate Kurdish forces into the national framework.
The integration agreement, originally scheduled for last year, has stalled amid Kurdish demands for decentralization and local autonomy. Despite an earlier agreement for withdrawal, Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh remain under Kurds’ control.
Turkey, which shares a 900-kilometer border with Syria, has repeatedly launched military operations against Kurdish forces in Syrian Kurdistan. Analysts warn that the Aleppo front is the SDF’s most exposed position.
“Both sides are still trying to put pressure on each other and gather international support,” said Aron Lund, a fellow at the Century International research center.
He added that renewed fighting could escalate into a full Damascus-SDF conflict, potentially drawing in Turkey and Israel and causing major destabilization across northern Syria.
The ceasefire appeared to hold Friday morning, but tensions remain high in Kurdish neighborhoods where thousands of civilians continue to shelter or flee through humanitarian corridors established by the Syrian military.
(With files from AFP | Agencies)
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