Syria and Kurdish Forces Declare ‘Comprehensive’ Ceasefire Across Northern Regions

Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander General Mazloum Abdi announced an immediate “comprehensive” ceasefire on Tuesday across all fronts in northern and northeastern Syria. The ceasefire took effect without delay, according to a statement from the ministry.

According to Reuters, recent clashes between the two parties had threatened a historic agreement signed in March between the Kurdish-led SDF and Syria’s new Islamist-led administration. The accord aims to integrate the regional Kurdish force into national institutions as part of broader efforts to reunify a country fractured by 14 years of civil war. The deal seeks to bring the Kurdish-led forces, which control roughly a quarter of Syrian territory, under Damascus’s authority.

The ceasefire followed reports from the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that at least three internal security personnel and several civilians sustained injuries during alleged SDF attacks on checkpoints in the Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo.

SANA indicated that tensions escalated after the Syrian Defence Ministry clarified on Sunday that its recent military movements near SDF-controlled areas in northeastern Syria were not new offensives but part of a scheduled troop redeployment.

However, SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami denied the allegations, stating that his forces were not present in the Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafieh areas and did not carry out any attacks on government checkpoints.