Kurdish Forces Withdraw from Aleppo After Ceasefire Agreement

Mon Jan 12 2026 01:40:44 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The last Kurdish fighters have exited Aleppo as a ceasefire agreement, mediated internationally, comes into effect. Civilians and wounded individuals are also evacuated amidst ongoing tensions between Kurdish forces and the Syrian government.

After a week of intense conflict, culminating in a ceasefire agreement, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have withdrawn from Aleppo. The ceasefire facilitated the safe evacuation of fighters, civilians, and the wounded. Negotiations for integrating Kurdish forces into Syria's government have been stalled, leading to violent clashes that resulted in multiple casualties and displacement of civilians.

The final Kurdish fighters have withdrawn from the Syrian city of Aleppo, after the announcement of a ceasefire deal in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stated that an agreement had been made via international mediation, securing the safe evacuation of 'martyrs, the wounded, the trapped civilians and the fighters' from the city.

Buses carrying the last Kurdish-led SDF members were seen leaving the Kurdish majority neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsoud, according to local media reports.

The latest clashes in Aleppo began earlier this week after negotiations for integrating the Kurds into Syria's new government reached a stalemate.

At least 12 people were killed in the latest outbreak of violence, which also saw tens of thousands of civilians displaced from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.

The Syrian army shelled these areas while labeling them 'closed military areas' in response to alleged armed group activities there. The Kurdish-led SDF, which maintains that it has no military presence in Aleppo, described the actions as a 'criminal attempt' to forcibly displace residents.

A ceasefire was proposed earlier in the week, but Kurdish forces initially refused to leave Sheikh Maqsoud, their last stronghold.

In March 2025, the SDF, which controls much of Syria's northeast and consists of tens of thousands of fighters, signed a deal to integrate military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state. However, both sides have accused one another of undermining subsequent negotiations, leaving the agreement unrealized nearly a year later.

The latest ceasefire iteration was mediated by the US and other global powers, reflecting the concern that escalating conflicts in Aleppo could provoke Turkish intervention. Turkey supports the Syrian government and regards the Kurdish militia leading the SDF as a terrorist organization.

On Saturday, US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, noted a meeting with the Syrian president, urging all involved parties to maintain restraint, cease hostilities, and return to dialogue as per the March agreement. He expressed the US's commitment to supporting Syria's transitional government.