Syrian government forces have taken control of the last Kurdish-held district in Aleppo, detaining hundreds and evacuating fighters, as the United States and its allies launched significant air strikes against Islamic State targets elsewhere in the country.
Clashes and Evacuations in Aleppo
According to an interior ministry official speaking to Agence France-Presse, 300 Kurds were detained following intense fighting in the northern city. This group included members of the Kurdish internal security forces, known as the Asayish.
Separately, a convoy of buses transported more than 400 Kurdish fighters from the Sheikh Maqsoud district. The official stated that about 360 fighters and 60 wounded individuals were moved to the Kurdish autonomous zone in north-eastern Syria.
The violence, which erupted on Tuesday, represents some of the fiercest combat seen since the regime of Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024. It followed stalled negotiations aimed at integrating Kurdish forces into the country's new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Ceasefire and Broader Implications
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed it had agreed to a ceasefire, brokered by international mediators, to withdraw from Aleppo. A statement from the SDF said the deal secured "the evacuation of the martyrs, the wounded, the trapped civilians and the fighters" from the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods.
The clashes have exposed a major faultline in Syria's fragile post-Assad landscape. President al-Sharaa's Islamist-led government has pledged national unity, but Kurdish forces remain deeply wary of his authority. The situation has raised fears of a wider regional conflict, with neighbouring Turkey—a close ally of Damascus's new authorities—stating it was ready to intervene. Israel has sided with the Kurdish forces.
The human cost has been severe. At least 21 civilians have been killed, according to figures from both sides, while Aleppo’s governor reported that 155,000 people had fled their homes.
US-Led Strikes Against Islamic State
As the Aleppo situation unfolded, US Central Command announced that American and allied forces had carried out "large-scale" strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets across Syria on Saturday. The operation, dubbed "Hawkeye Strike," was described as a direct response to a deadly attack in Palmyra on 13 December.
That assault, carried out by a lone ISIS gunman, killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter. It was the first such incident targeting US personnel since the fall of the Assad regime. The Jordanian army confirmed its participation in the coalition strikes, aimed at neutralising the jihadist group's capabilities.
While ISIS was largely defeated territorially in 2019, it maintains a persistent presence, particularly in Syria's vast desert regions. The US personnel targeted in Palmyra were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the ongoing international mission to combat the group.
Calls for Restraint and Dialogue
The international community has urged a return to political talks. US envoy Tom Barrack met with President al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday, urging all parties to "exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue." He stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's team was prepared to mediate.
Both the United States and the European Union have echoed calls for an end to the violence and a resumption of negotiations to address the underlying political disputes driving the conflict in Aleppo and beyond.
