Kurdish forces withdraw from Aleppo under deal with Damascus

Kurdish forces withdraw from Syrias Aleppo under deal with Damascus — A convoy of Kurdish SDF/YPG forces withdraws from Aleppo, Syria, April 4, 2025. Photo: AP

ALEPPO,— Kurdish forces withdrew from two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo on Friday, in a move that aligns with an agreement to fold Kurdish institutions of Syrian Kurdistan into Syria’s central transitional government, according to local officials and state media.

More than 500 members of the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pulled out of the Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maksoud areas, a local council official told reporters.

Nouri Sheikho, a senior figure in the local governing body, said the fighters are relocating to regions in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) that fall under the Kurdish autonomous administration.

As part of an agreement reached earlier this month between the Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maksoud council and a presidential committee, Kurdish forces agreed to withdraw from both districts, allowing Damascus authorities to assume administrative control.

The withdrawal follows a deal reached last month between Kurds and new Syria’s Islamist administration.

Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported the departure, saying the Kurdish fighters left the area under supervision of the Syrian Ministry of Defense. A video released by the agency showed military vehicles transporting uniformed fighters from the neighborhoods.

Kurdish forces have held control over Kurdish parts of Aleppo, including Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maksoud, for several years.

Their influence had expanded into nearby areas until late last year, when they lost ground during clashes with groups backed by Turkey.

The Kurdish withdrawal coincides with a broader realignment of power following the December ouster of President Bashar al-Assad after 13 years in office.

The fall of Assad followed a rapid offensive by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as al-Nusra affiliated with al-Qaeda.

As part of the same agreement, a prisoner exchange took place on Thursday. Sheikho stated that 146 detainees were released by the central government, in return for 97 individuals held by Kurdish authorities.

While the Kurdish-led administration in Syrian Kurdistan has agreed to integrate with Damascus, it has publicly criticized the new cabinet, that excluded Kurds, announced by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The 23-member body includes only one Kurdish representative, who does not belong to the autonomous administration in Syrian Kurdistan.

In a statement, the Kurdish autonomous administration said it does not recognize decisions made by a government it believes lacks proper representation of Syria’s ethnic and political diversity.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)