ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and their accompanying delegation at the People’s Palace in Damascus on Friday, SANA news agency reported.

In meeting with the EU leaders, Al-Sharaa stressed that protecting civilians and ensuring the return of normal life remain top priorities, emphasizing the state’s sovereign role in safeguarding all components of Syrian society, including the "Kurdish community."

The meeting comes as authorities in Aleppo announced that elements of the terrorist group YPG/SDF encircled in the city would be transferred within hours to areas east of the Euphrates.

The Defense Ministry had announced early Friday a temporary ceasefire following days of clashes in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods that led to casualties and forced thousands of civilians to flee.