Syrian forces expel Kurdish fighters as US strikes Islamic State targets

"An interior ministry official told Agence France-Presse that about 360 Kurdish fighters and 60 wounded had been bussed to the Kurds' de facto autonomous zone in the north-east from the Sheikh Maqsoud district, the last area of Aleppo to fall to the army. A further 300 Kurds, including members of the Kurdish internal security forces, were detained, the official said on Sunday."

"The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it had agreed under a ceasefire to withdraw from Aleppo, after days of fighting. Kurdish forces had controlled several pockets of Syria's second city and operate a de facto autonomous administration across large swathes of the north and north-east, much of it captured during the country's bloody 14-year civil war. The Aleppo clashes, some of the most intense since the regime of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024, erupted on Tuesday"

"The violence in Aleppo has deepened one of the main faultlines in Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa's promise to unify the country under one leadership has faced resistance from Kurdish forces wary of his Islamist-led government. It has also raised fears of a regional escalation, with neighbouring Turkey, a close ally of Syria's new Islamist authorities, saying it was ready to intervene."

Syrian government forces detained 300 Kurds and evacuated about 360 fighters plus 60 wounded from Sheikh Maqsoud, according to the interior ministry. A further 300 Kurds, including Kurdish internal security members, were held. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces agreed under a ceasefire to withdraw from Aleppo after days of fighting. Kurdish forces had controlled several pockets and run a de facto autonomous administration across much of northern Syria captured during the 14-year civil war. The clashes erupted after stalled negotiations to integrate Kurds into the new government, killed at least 21 civilians, displaced about 155,000 people, and raised fears of regional escalation.

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