Aleppo: Syrian authorities have commenced the transfer of members of the YPG/SDF group who were surrounded in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to Tabqah, following the cessation of military operations in the area.
According to Anadolu Agency, Alikhbariah TV reported that the SDF members, who had announced their surrender, were transported by buses from Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to Tabqah city in the northern Raqqa province. This transfer was conducted under the supervision of the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
Additionally, the buses leaving Sheikh Maqsoud included civilian families who had previously been prevented from exiting the area by the SDF, as per a security source's information to the channel. The decision to halt military operations came after an escalation with the YPG/SDF group, as announced by the Syrian Army's Operations Command.
The Operations Command, in a statement distributed by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), declared the cessation of military activities in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, effective from 3:00 pm (1200GMT). It was also noted that SDF militants stationed inside Yassin Hospital would be moved to Tabqah, with their weapons being confiscated.
The command stated that the army would begin transferring control of all health and government facilities to state institutions and planned a gradual withdrawal from the streets of Sheikh Maqsoud. Since Tuesday, SDF has launched attacks on residential areas, civilian facilities, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo, resulting in 23 fatalities, over 100 injuries, and the displacement of approximately 165,000 residents from Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud.
Last March, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the integration of the SDF into state institutions, emphasizing the nation's territorial integrity and dismissing any divisive attempts. However, authorities have noted that the SDF has yet to fulfill the agreement's terms in the intervening months. The government has been actively working to ensure security nationwide since the Assad regime was ousted in December 2024, after a 24-year rule.