Aleppo Residents Left Without Military Protection After SDF Withdrawal

Aleppo Residents Begin Returning to Areas Previously Controlled by SDF Fighters

Security sweeps have been conducted in Aleppo by Syrian government forces following days of battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). As some residents displaced by the fighting began returning to their areas, army forces on Monday were working to remove explosive devices and weapons. The operation comes after the last SDF fighters left Aleppo on Sunday as part of a ceasefire deal.

The agreement allowed evacuations from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods to parts of northeastern Syria, where the Kurdish-led forces run a semi-autonomous zone. Residents of Ashrafieh, the first of the two neighbourhoods to fall to the Syrian army, began returning to their homes on Sunday. They found shrapnel and broken glass littering the streets.

SDF leader Mazlum Abdi stated that his fighters were evacuated “through the mediation of international parties” to stop attacks and violations against civilians in Aleppo. US envoy Tom Barrack met with SDF leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday, calling for a return to dialogue in accordance with an integration agreement.

The departure of the SDF marks the removal of the group from pockets of Aleppo, which it has held since Syria’s war began in 2011. Syrian health authorities reported at least 24 civilians killed and 129 wounded in SDF attacks since Tuesday. The United Kingdom-based monitor, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported 45 civilians killed along with 60 soldiers and fighters from both sides.

Resident Munir al-Mohammad stated that the casualties were caused by repeated attacks targeting civilian areas. The Syrian government has been promoting a message of national unity, describing the events in Aleppo as a “limited law enforcement operation” rather than an open war with the SDF.

Source: Al Jazeera