SDF withdrawal prompts fragile truce as rescue teams clear booby traps and UN organizes convoys for displaced residents.
ALEPPO, Syria – Rescue teams entered a devastated district of Aleppo on Sunday following days of intense fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters over the integration of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the national army.
A temporary ceasefire took hold in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid, after clashes left at least 23 people dead and displaced more than 140,000 residents since Tuesday.
The violence marked the most severe combat since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Government forces have now captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid, while Kurdish fighters have withdrawn from Sheikh Maqsoud to northeastern Syria, which remains under SDF control.
The SDF described the current pause as a “partial ceasefire” to evacuate the wounded and civilians, but warned in a statement that fighting would resume.
On Sunday, Syrian Civil Defense teams worked to disarm improvised explosive devices reportedly left by withdrawing forces, as the United Nations prepared aid convoys with food, fuel, and emergency supplies for displaced families.
Government officials escorted journalists through the damaged area, highlighting the shelled Khalid Al-Fajer Hospital and a destroyed SDF security post. The SDF accused government forces of repeatedly targeting the hospital before patients were evacuated, while Damascus alleged the facility had been used for military purposes.
Residents described a night of terror as shells and drones struck the area. “We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho, standing amid charred cars and shattered buildings.
Thousands who fled are now barred from returning until the neighborhood is cleared of explosives, reviving painful memories of displacement during Syria’s long civil war. “I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” pleaded Hoda Alnasiri, one of many awaiting permission to return.
The conflict stems from stalled negotiations over absorbing the SDF—a key US ally in the fight against Daesh—into Syria’s national army, which includes former Turkish-backed rebel factions historically opposed to Kurdish forces.
