📰 Aleppo Clashes Draw the Boundaries of Dialogue Between Damascus and the SDF

Armed clashes broke out in Aleppo’s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods between the Kurdish Internal security troops (Asayish) and the syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian Internal Security troops, backed by units from the Syrian army. The confrontation came just hours after a meeting in Hassakeh between U. Notably, s. envoy Thomas Barrack, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, and Mazloum Abdi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (sdf) — prompting analysts to link the two events. Following the clashes, a ceasefire was declared, and on the following morning, Mazloum Abdi met Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, as per AFP.

After the meeting, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared an agreement for a comprehensive ceasefire across northern and northeastern syria, saying it had been reached during his talks with Abdi in the capital. Later, leader al-Sharaa received Barrack and Admiral Cooper in Damascus. as per the Syrian Presidency, the talks covered “the latest developments in Syria, ways to backing the political process and strengthen security and stability,” and discussed mechanisms for implementing the March 10 Agreement in a way that safeguards Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Field Pressure and Testing Positions Amin Aliko, a member of the Relations Office of the Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) in Aleppo, informed Ultra Syria that the timing between Abdi’s meetings with U. S. authorities and the clashes in Sheikh Maqsoud “does not necessarily imply a direct causal link. ” He explained that Syria is currently in a highly sensitive phase, where political moves at the leadership level are often mirrored by field escalations meant to test reactions and reshape the dialogue’s direction. “What’s happening can be described more as field pressure or a test of positions rather than an internal dispute,” he stated, adding that the aim is “to push the parties toward concessions on other files. ” On the meeting between Abdi and President al-Sharaa, Aliko stated it came within the framework of containing tensions and reaffirming that dialogue remains the preferred option for all sides.

He reminded that both parties remain committed to the March 10 Agreement and the April 1 Agreement, which specifically covers the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud areas. Regarding Sharaa’s meeting with U. S. Furthermore, envoy Barrack, Aliko said the U.

S. approach is based on reassessing balances of power inside Syria and supporting one side over another “in line with its shifting interests. ” Washington’s regional policy, he added, “is based on managing balances, not establishing fixed alliances,” and such…