Syria’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that elements of the PKK/YPG group will be transferred out of Aleppo to areas east of the Euphrates River, after a temporary ceasefire collapsed just six hours after it took effect.
According to the Aleppo Media Directorate, the ministry said YPG terrorists would be moved from neighborhoods in the city “in the coming hours,” carrying only light personal weapons.
The announcement followed the expiration of a withdrawal deadline set by Damascus, which authorities said the group failed to fully meet.
Anti-terror operations will continue
Syrian officials warned that targeted military operations would continue if the transfer was not completed.
State-linked Alikhbaria TV reported that vehicles had arrived at the Lairamoun roundabout in preparation for entering the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to transport YPG elements.
YPG is the Syrian extension of the PKK terrorist organisation.
The Syrian Arab News Agency said Civil Defence teams reopened Castello Road — a key artery linking Aleppo to its northern countryside — after securing the area to ensure traffic flow and public safety.
Internal Security Forces, working with the Syrian Army Operations Directorate, are also preparing to open a safe corridor to allow YPG terrorists to withdraw from Sheikh Maqsoud toward northeastern Syria.
New deadline issued
Syria TV reported that the army has issued a new deadline for the evacuation of YPG elements from Sheikh Maqsoud, though the reports have not been formally confirmed by official Syrian sources.
The standoff comes despite an agreement announced by the Syrian presidency on March 10, 2025, to integrate the YPG-led SDF into state institutions as part of a broader effort to preserve territorial unity.
Syrian authorities say the group has failed to take concrete steps to implement the deal in the months since.
Damascus has stepped up security operations nationwide following the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, as it seeks to reassert control over key cities and prevent renewed fragmentation.
