Shafaq News– Damascus

Syria acknowledged the role of Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and several international actors —including the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, France, and the UK— in supporting the country’s territorial unity, stressing that the recent truce in Aleppo aims to protect civilians rather than target any social group.

Yesterday, the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached an agreement under US sponsorship to withdraw the SDF-backed Kurdish Interior Security Forces (Asayish) from predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo to areas in northeastern Syria. The truce follows clashes in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, which left more than 10 civilians dead and around 100 injured, alongside at least 20 casualties among fighters.

In a statement on Saturday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry clarified that the measures do not single out the Kurdish community, pointing out that Kurds have long been part of Aleppo’s social fabric and continue to hold roles within state institutions.

Asserting that limiting weapons to state control is crucial for restoring stability, advancing the political process, and preventing Syrian territory from being used for cross-border armed activity, it further explained that security understandings reached in March and April 2025 with the SDF aimed to remove non-state armed groups from Aleppo, but later collapsed after “repeated violations” that caused civilian casualties.

“Protecting civilians remains a central priority,” the statement concluded, noting that authorities have opened safe humanitarian corridors in coordination with aid organizations and begun assessing damaged areas, steps designed to support a gradual return to normal life.