Aleppo clashes cast doubt on Syria-SDF March integration deal

The withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters from two Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Aleppo has ended days of deadly clashes with Syrian government forces, but deepened uncertainty over the future of a landmark agreement signed between Damascus and the SDF in March 2025.

Fighting erupted last week in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts, before SDF forces pulled out on Sunday following mediation efforts involving the United States.

The clashes have renewed questions over whether the 10 March agreement, signed by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, and intended to integrate the SDF into Syria’s military, can still be implemented.

US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, travelled to Damascus on Saturday, meeting Sharaa and urging a return to the agreement.

In a post on X, Barrack said Washington supported the Syrian government’s efforts to stabilise the country and confirmed that Damascus had "reaffirmed its commitment" to the March integration deal, while warning that the violence in Aleppo threatened its implementation.

Abdi said on X that a ceasefire had been reached "through mediation by international parties" to halt attacks on civilians.

He added that the understanding ensured the evacuation of "martyrs, wounded, stranded civilians and fighters" from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh to northern and eastern Syria, calling on mediators to guarantee the safe return of displaced residents.

Syria’s state news agency SANA confirmed the departure of buses carrying the last group of SDF fighters from Aleppo towards northeastern Syria. It quoted Aleppo health officials as saying that shelling by the SDF on residential areas since Tuesday had killed 24 people and wounded 129.

A Syrian interior ministry official said that around 400 Kurdish fighters were evacuated and more than 300 others arrested, AFP reported

Iraqi Kurdish sources in Erbil told The New Arab's Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani led undeclared de-escalation efforts between Damascus and Abdi to prevent further fighting.

According to the sources, Barzani held a phone call with Sharaa last Friday, focused on containing the Aleppo crisis and prioritising dialogue.

Despite the ceasefire, Kurdish officials say confidence in the March agreement has been badly shaken. Abdul Salam Ahmed, the Lebanon-based representative of the SDF-linked Autonomous Administration, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "the 10 March agreement still exists in principle", but warned that recent events required "a serious reassessment of its content and the context of its implementation".

He said the violence in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh exposed "the gap between what was pledged and what is practised on the ground", accusing Damascus of relying on a security-first approach that undermines trust.

Analysts warn that failure to revive negotiations could increase the risk of renewed confrontation between Damascus and the SDF, particularly in strategically sensitive areas near the Euphrates, despite continued US pressure to keep talks alive.