The streets of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood saw a tentative shift in momentum on Saturday as Syrian authorities began the organized transfer of surrounded SDF members. The move follows a formal suspension of military operations in the area, marking a significant turn after days of intense escalation.
According to state media reports, buses arrived in the northern neighborhood to collect members of the group who had agreed to surrender. The convoy, operating under the supervision of the Syrian Ministry of Interior, is destined for the city of Tabqah in the northern Raqqa province.
The evacuation marks the end of a tense standoff that had centered on the Yassin Hospital, where SDF militants had remained entrenched. Under the terms of the agreement, these individuals are being moved out of the city only after their weapons have been surrendered to government forces.
A security source speaking to Alikhbariah TV noted that the buses were not only carrying fighters. Civilian families, who had reportedly been prevented from leaving the district during the height of the friction, were also among those being transported toward Tabqah.
The Syrian Army’s Operations Command confirmed the cessation of hostilities in a statement released via the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The order to halt all military activity inside Sheikh Maqsoud took effect at 3:00 pm local time, providing a window for the withdrawal to proceed.
For the residents of Aleppo, the pause in fighting offers a grimly necessary reprieve. Since Tuesday, the city has been rocked by shelling that targeted residential blocks and civilian infrastructure. These attacks claimed the lives of 23 people and left more than 100 others wounded.
The humanitarian cost of the recent flare-up has been staggering. Estimates suggest that approximately 165,000 residents were forced to flee their homes in the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud districts as the violence intensified, seeking safety from the crossfire and falling shells.
As the evacuation continues, the military has signaled a phased transition of power. Plans are already in motion to hand over hospitals and government facilities to state institutions. Army units are expected to gradually pull back from the residential streets of Sheikh Maqsoud as civil control is restored.
This latest development comes nearly a year after the Syrian presidency announced a landmark agreement intended to integrate the SDF into state structures. That March 2024 deal was framed as a cornerstone for national unity following the collapse of the previous regime in late 2024.
However, the path to integration has been fraught with tension. Authorities have expressed growing frustration in recent months, claiming the group has failed to honor the terms of the unification agreement. Saturday’s evacuation serves as a physical manifestation of that unresolved friction.
For now, the priority in Aleppo remains the stabilization of a city that has seen too many cycles of conflict. As the last buses depart for Raqqa province, the focus shifts to whether this fragile peace can hold long enough for displaced families to return to what is left of their homes.
