Syrian army announces stop to Aleppo offensive, but Kurdish fighters deny halt Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 01/10/2026 - 15:53 Damascus begins transporting Kurdish fighters out of Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood to northeast Syria, after days of fighting Residents of the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood are evacuated by members of Syrian government security forces, in Aleppo, on 10 January 2026 (AFP/Omar Haj Kadour) Off Syria's army announced on Saturday that it was halting a days-long military operation in Aleppo, but Kurdish forces there said they were still under attack. Violence broke out in Syria's second largest city on Tuesday, as efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the country's new government stalled.  The SDF controls swathes of Syria's north and northeast. At least 21 civilians have been killed since fighting began four days ago, according to figures from both sides. The governor of Aleppo said 155,000 people have been displaced.  The Syrian military announced "a halt to all military operations in the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood" from 3pm local time, according to a statement published by Sana news agency. But Kurdish forces later said they were repelling a "fierce attack", and accused the army of a "blatant attempt to mislead public opinion". The military added in its statement that Kurdish fighters would be transferred to Tabaqa, a Kurdish-controlled city in northeastern Syria. Hours later, Syrian authorities began transporting these fighters.  "Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces who announced their surrender at the Yassin Hospital were transported by bus to the city of Tabaqa under the supervision of the interior ministry," state television reported.  A correspondent at AFP saw at least four buses carrying fighters, accompanied by security forces, leaving Sheikh Maqsud.  Syrian forces struck the neighbourhood overnight after a deadline that it had given for Kurdish fighters to withdraw had elapsed.  Kurdish forces denied claims that government forces controlled most of Sheikh Maqsud, calling it "false and misleading". The army said three of its soldiers had been killed by Kurdish fighters. Elham Ahmad, a senior official in the Kurdish administration in the northeast, accused Damascus of "choosing the path of war" by attacking Kurdish districts and of "seeking to put an end to the agreements that have been reached". "We are committed to them and we are seeking to implement them," she told AFP. An integration agreement from March last year was meant to be implemented in recent months, but differences, including Kurdish demands for decentralised rule, have halted progress. US envoy Tom Barrack said on Saturday that he had discussed the situation with Jordan's foreign minister, with both parties expressing a desire for "consolidating the ceasefire, ensuring the peaceful withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces from Aleppo, and guaranteeing" civilians' safety. They also called for the implementation of the integration agreement. Syria after Assad News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0