ISTANBUL
The US has “warmly welcomed” a temporary ceasefire reached early Friday in Aleppo following the withdrawal of the PKK/YPG terror group operating under the name SDF.
Tom Barrack, the American envoy for Syria, said on the social media company X that the US “warmly welcomes the temporary ceasefire achieved last night” in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods, describing it as a critical pause made possible through cooperation among rival parties.
Barrack said the ceasefire was the result of “restraint and goodwill” and voiced hope that continued coordination would lead to a more durable calm.
He described the truce as an initial step toward broader stability, saying it aims to guide Syria’s diverse communities “onto a single shared highway toward security, inclusion, and lasting peace,” while acknowledging that challenges remain.
Barrack said the US is working intensively to extend the ceasefire beyond its 9 am (0500 GMT) deadline and maintain what he described as “this ceasefire and spirit of understanding.”
The Syrian army had shelled SDF positions in Aleppo in retaliation for attacks that killed at least nine civilians and injured dozens.
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 Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, after 24 years in power.