Aleppo Fighting Halted as Syrian Government, SDF Agree to Deescalate

The deadly clashes cast uncertainty on the prospect of Kurdish forces integrating into Syrian state forces as previously agreed.

Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Force fighters flash victory signs in a convoy leaving Aleppo, Syria, on April 9, 2025. Mohamad Daboul/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed to halt fighting after deadly clashes erupted in two Kurdish-majority quarters of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city.

The Syrian Defense Ministry stated on Dec. 22 that government forces had been ordered to “halt targeting sources of fire” linked to the SDF in Aleppo, according to state news agency SANA.