Syrian army declares ceasefire in Aleppo after heavy clashes with SDF
Authorities says curfew will be in place ‘until further notice’ amid clashes between Syrian army and Kurdish-led forces.
Syrian civil defence workers assist an elderly woman forced to leave her home in Aleppo due to the fighting, on January 8, 2026 [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP]
https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458
By
Al Jazeera Staffand News Agencies
Published On 8 Jan 20268 Jan 2026
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Updated: 9 minutes agoUpdated: 9 minutes ago
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Syria’s defence ministry has announced a ceasefire in three neighbourhoods of the northern city of Aleppo after days of heavy
clashes between the country’s military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
A fierce exchange of fire extended into the night, with rescue workers scrambling to extinguish fires ignited by shelling, before the defence ministry said it would give armed groups a six-hour window on Friday to leave the contested areas.
In a statement, the ministry said the ceasefire in the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid from 3am (00:00 GMT) would ”pave the way for the restoration of law and official institutions and to protect civilians.”
Departing fighters will be permitted to carry “personal light weapons,” state news agency SANA reported, citing the defence ministry. The Syrian army will reportedly escort the withdrawal and ensure safe transport to the north-eastern regions of the country.
There was no immediate reaction from the SDF to the announcement.
Earlier authorities in Syria have imposed a curfew in several neighbourhoods of Aleppo city.
The Aleppo Internal Security Command said in a statement on Thursday that a curfew was imposed “until further notice” in the neighbourhoods of Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, Bani Zeid, al-Siryan, al-Hullok and al-Midan.
“This measure aims to ensure the safety of residents and is part of the ongoing security procedures to maintain order and prevent any violations that could endanger lives and property,” the command said in a statement shared by Syria’s state news agency SANA.
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“All movement is strictly prohibited within the neighbourhoods covered by this curfew during its enforcement period, with no exceptions.”
More than 100,000 civilians have
fled their homes in Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud since fighting broke out between the Syrian military and the SDF earlier this week, the director of the media department in Aleppo told Al Jazeera.
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Rana Issa, 43, whose family fled the Ashrafieh neighbourhood under sniper fire on Thursday, told the AFP news agency that “many people want to leave” but are afraid of being shot.
“We’ve gone through very difficult times,” Issa said. “My children were terrified.”
The clashes come as talks on how to implement
a March 2025 agreement to integrate the SDF, which has controlled large swaths of territory in Syria’s north and northeast, into the country’s state institutions faltered.
At least 22 people have been killed and 173 others wounded in Aleppo this week, as the Syrian military accused the SDF of targeting civilian areas with artillery and mortar shells.
The Kurdish-led group has denied the allegations, saying this week’s casualties were caused by “indiscriminate” artillery and missile shelling by factions aligned with the government in Damascus.
Late on Thursday, the Syrian Ministry of Interior said government forces had begun deploying in the Ashrafieh area “following the withdrawal of armed groups affiliated with the SDF”.
“The units have commenced their duties to protect civilians and prevent any violations or signs of disorder, in coordination with the Army units deployed in the neighborhood,” the ministry said in a statement shared by SANA.
Reporting from an Aleppo hospital on Thursday evening, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said the sound of heavy shelling could be heard from the facility as medical workers struggled to treat wounded patients.
“The situation is escalating further and further,” said Serdar, adding that Aleppo is experiencing the “fiercest” fighting since the removal of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
“We’re hearing artillery shelling, one after another,” he said.
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‘Daunting task’ of reunification
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi (also known as Mazloum Kobani) said the violence in Aleppo has undermined talks with the government in Damascus, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
“The deployment of tanks and artillery in Aleppo neighbourhoods, the bombing and displacement of unarmed civilians, and attempts to storm Kurdish neighbourhoods during the negotiation process undermine the chances of reaching understandings,” Abdi said in a statement.
Authorities says curfew will be in place 'until further notice' amid clashes between Syrian army and Kurdish-led forces.
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