Last Kurdish Forces Depart Aleppo Following Ceasefire Agreement

Last Kurdish Forces Depart Aleppo

The final Kurdish fighters have withdrawn from the Syrian city of Aleppo following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on Sunday morning. Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stated that the agreement was brokered through international mediation, ensuring the safe evacuation of "martyrs, wounded, trapped civilians, and fighters" from the city. Buses transporting the last members of the SDF were seen leaving the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud, according to local media reports. The latest clashes in Aleppo began earlier this week after negotiations for the incorporation of Kurds into the new Syrian government reached a stalemate. Following the recent violence, at least 12 people have been killed, and tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced, forced to flee from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. The Syrian army bombarded the area on Wednesday afternoon after designating the neighborhoods as "closed military zones" in response to what it claimed were attacks from armed groups in the area. The SDF, which insists it does not have a military presence in Aleppo, has characterized this action as a "criminal attempt" to forcibly displace residents. A ceasefire agreement was proposed earlier in the week; however, the Kurdish forces refused to leave their last stronghold in Sheikh Maqsoud under its terms.