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Kurdish fighters rejected a name to depart Syria’s Aleppo on Friday (January 9, 2026) after the government announced a truce in deadly fighting that forced thousands of civilians to flee.
Since Tuesday (January 6, 2026), authorities forces had been combating the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, the nation’s second metropolis.
The violence killed 21 folks and was the newest problem for a rustic nonetheless struggling to forge a brand new path after Islamist authorities ousted long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad simply over a 12 months in the past.
It additionally pressured round 30,000 households to flee their properties, in accordance with the U.N..
Either side traded blame over who began the combating, which got here as they struggled to implement a deal to merge the Kurds’ administration and army into the nation’s new authorities.
On Friday (January 9, 2026), the Defence Ministry announced a ceasefire within the combating with the SDF, which controls swathes of Syria’s oil-rich north and northeast, and was key to the defeat of the Islamic State group in 2019.
“To forestall any slide in the direction of a brand new army escalation inside residential neighbourhoods, the Ministry of Defence declares … a ceasefire within the neighborhood of the Sheikh Maqsud, Ashrafiyeh and Bani Zeid neighbourhoods of Aleppo, efficient from 3:00 a.m.,” the Ministry wrote in an announcement.
Kurdish fighters got till 9:00 a.m. Friday (January 9, 2026) to depart the three neighbourhoods, whereas the Aleppo governorate stated the fighters can be despatched, together with their gentle weapons, to Kurdish areas additional east.
Hours later, the native councils of Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh stated the Kurdish fighters wouldn’t go away.
“We have now determined to stay in our districts and defend them,” the assertion stated, rejecting any “give up”.
An AFP photographer positioned on the sting of Ashrafiyeh noticed members of the safety forces enter the world, in addition to autos that gave the impression to be getting ready to evacuate Kurdish fighters.
America welcomed the ceasefire in a submit on X by its envoy Tom Barrack.
He stated Washington hoped for “a extra enduring calm and deeper dialogue” and was “working intensively to increase this ceasefire and spirit of understanding”.
‘Kids have been terrified’
An AFP correspondent reported fierce combating throughout Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud districts into Thursday (January 8, 2026) night time. On Friday (January 9, 2026) morning, the truce gave the impression to be holding.
Syria’s army had instructed civilians in these neighbourhoods to depart by means of humanitarian corridors forward of launching the operation.
State tv reported that round 16,000 folks had fled on Thursday (January 8, 2026) alone.
“We’ve gone by means of very troublesome instances… my youngsters have been terrified,” stated Rana Issa, 43, whose household left Ashrafiyeh on Thursday (January 8, 2026).
“Many individuals need to go away”, however are afraid of the snipers, she advised AFP.
Mazloum Abdi, who leads the SDF, stated assaults on Kurdish areas “undermine the probabilities of reaching understandings”, days after he visited Damascus for talks on the March integration deal.
The settlement was meant to be carried out final 12 months, however variations, together with Kurdish calls for for decentralised rule, have stymied progress.
Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh have remained beneath the management of Kurdish models linked to the SDF, regardless of Kurdish fighters agreeing to withdraw from the areas in April.
Turkiye, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Syria, has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish forces from the frontier.
Aron Lund, a fellow on the Century Worldwide analysis centre, advised AFP that “Aleppo is the SDF’s most weak space”.
“Either side are nonetheless attempting to place strain on one another and rally worldwide assist,” he stated.
He warned that if the hostilities spiral, “a full Damascus-SDF battle throughout northern Syria, doubtlessly with Turkish and Israeli involvement, might be devastating for Syria’s stability”.
Israel and Turkiye have been vying for affect in Syria since Assad was toppled in December 2024.
In Qamishli within the Kurdish-held northeast, lots of of individuals have protested the Aleppo violence.
“We name on the worldwide neighborhood to intervene,” stated protester Salaheddin Sheikhmous, 61, whereas others held banners studying “no to warfare” and “no to ethnic cleaning”.
Revealed – January 09, 2026 07:25 pm IST
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