📰 Ceasefire Holds in Aleppo After Deadly Overnight Clashes

A fragile ceasefire took effect Tuesday morning in Aleppo after hours of heavy overnight clashes between Syrian administration troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic troops (SDF). Fighting in the Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods left civilians dead and wounded, struck medical facilities, and raised fears of a broader escalation in Syria’s north. The Syrian Defense Ministry stated its forces halted fire after “neutralizing” SDF positions and narrowing the engagement zone away from residential areas. authorities insisted the army acted defensively in response to attacks on civilian homes and armed forces posts. The SDF, however, rejected shelling neighborhoods and accused pro-administration factions of sparking the confrontation. In a statement carried by media outlets close to the group, the SDF stated it ordered its fighters to stop “responding to attacks by Damascus government factions” as part of ongoing de-escalation talks.

Civilian Toll The Interior Ministry declared that “random shelling” by the SDF killed a child and his mother and wounded 15 others, mostly women and children. Civil Defense teams also verified casualties in the Al-Jamiliya neighborhood. Al-Razi Hospital was reportedly hit as wounded were being brought in, though the SDF rejected claims it targeted medical facilities. Additionally, aleppo’s governor, Ahmad Zarib, declared a suspension of work in schools, universities, and government offices on Tuesday. Notably, security forces imposed a cordon around the affected districts to allow evacuations and prevent further civilian exposure to sniper fire and shelling.

Political Context The clashes come at a sensitive moment in relations between Damascus and the SDF. They coincide with the looming deadline for the March 10 agreement, a deal brokered between Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara and SDF commander Mazlum Abdi. The agreement envisioned integrating the SDF into Syrian state institutions, but progress has stalled. Suzdar Haji, commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), said in a latest interview that implementation remains “distant,” citing Damascus’s insistence on dissolving the SDF’s current structure and absorbing fighters individually into a emerging Syrian army. The SDF has resisted, viewing the proposal as an attempt to dismantle its autonomy.

Regional Pressures Turkey has added pressure to the talks. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking in Damascus on Monday, said the SDF must fulfill the merger agreement. Defense Minister Yaşar Güler warned over the weekend that Ankara would take “necessary measures” without “asking anyone’s permission” if the deal collapses—echoing past Turkish armed forces operations in northern Syria. Notably, outlook As the ceasefire holds tenuously in Aleppo, the…