SDF elements to be transferred from Aleppo neighborhoods in coming hours

ISTANBUL

Elements of the terrorist organization YPG/SDF will be transferred from neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo to areas east of the Euphrates River, Syria's Defense Ministry said Friday, as a temporary ceasefire ended after six hours.

The Aleppo Media Directorate, citing the ministry, said: “SDF elements will be transferred from Aleppo neighborhoods in the coming hours to areas east of the Euphrates, carrying light personal weapons.”

The move comes as the deadline set by Damascus for the terrorist group to withdraw from Aleppo passed earlier Friday. Authorities said the group failed to fully comply with the terms of the withdrawal, prompting ministry warnings that targeted operations would continue if the transfer was not completed.

Vehicles arrived at the Lairamoun roundabout in Aleppo in preparation for entering the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to transport the SDF elements, according to Alikhbaria TV.

The SANA news agency said Civil Defense teams reopened Aleppo’s Castello Road between the Jandoul and Lairamoun roundabouts toward the northern Aleppo countryside, after taking necessary measures to ensure the traffic flow and public safety.

The news agency said Internal Security Forces, in coordination with the Syrian Army Operations Directorate, are preparing to open a safe corridor to allow the SDF to withdraw from positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood toward the country’s northeast.

Syria TV reported that the army has given the SDF a new deadline to evacuate its elements from Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.

The reports have not been confirmed by Syrian official sources.

On March 10, 2025, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

Authorities said in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.

The government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.