The US has “warmly welcomed” a temporary ceasefire reached early on Friday in Aleppo following the withdrawal of the YPG terror group.
Tom Barrack, the American envoy for Syria, said on the social media platform X that the US “warmly welcomes the temporary ceasefire achieved last night” in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods, describing it as a critical pause made possible through cooperation among rival parties.
The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terror group.
Barrack said the ceasefire was the result of “restraint and goodwill” and voiced hope that continued coordination would lead to a more durable calm.
He described the truce as an initial step toward broader stability, saying it aims to guide Syria’s diverse communities “onto a single shared highway toward security, inclusion, and lasting peace,” while acknowledging that challenges remain.
Barrack said the US is working intensively to extend the ceasefire beyond its 9 am (0500 GMT) deadline and maintain what he described as “spirit of understanding.”
Intense fighting
The Syrian army had shelled YPG positions in Aleppo in retaliation for attacks that killed at least nine civilians and injured dozens.
On March 10 2025, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the group’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
Authorities said in the months since, the YPG terror group has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.
The government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of Bashar al Assad’s regime on December 8 2024, after 24 years in power.
