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Syrian government forces and the terrorist group YPG-led SDF agreed to a ceasefire in Aleppo on Tuesday, state media reported, after tensions escalated into deadly bombardments that killed at least two people and wounded 25 civilians.
At least one member of Syria's security force and a civilian were killed late Monday in SDF's bombardments on Aleppo, Syrian state television reported. Interior Ministry spokesperson Nureddin al-Baba said 25 civilians were wounded in the attacks, and one journalist sustained minor injuries.
The ceasefire agreement covers the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, both of which are occupied by the SDF. A security official told the state news agency SANA that the agreement had taken effect, though no further details were provided.
Clashes began on Monday morning when snipers deployed by the SDF in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts targeted security checkpoints controlled by the Interior Ministry.
Fighting intensified through the evening as mortar and artillery fire hit residential areas adjacent to the two neighborhoods, forcing dozens of families to flee their homes.
Aleppo's governor, Azzam al-Gharib, called on residents to stay indoors and as far away as possible from "the zones with clashes."
Since the toppling of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December, Aleppo has been ruled by Syria's new authorities. Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh remain controlled by the YPG-led SDF.
Tensions have heightened between Damascus and the SDF in north and northeast Syria. The recent clashes cast a shadow over a landmark deal signed in March between the SDF and Syria's new government, which aimed to integrate the SDF into state institutions.
The deal aimed to stitch together a country fractured by 14 years of war and pave the way for the SDF, which occupies a quarter of Syria, to merge with Damascus. SDF has been persistently rejecting the integration.
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