Overview
- The Syrian Democratic Forces said a cease-fire allowed the evacuation of fighters, wounded people, and trapped civilians from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh toward northern and eastern Syria, a move Syrian state media reported with buses departing.
- The army had asserted on Saturday that its Aleppo operation was complete and transfers were underway, a claim Kurdish forces initially rejected before announcing the evacuation agreement early Sunday.
- At least 21 civilians have been killed since Tuesday as fighting and bombardment hit Kurdish neighborhoods, with Syrian authorities citing about 155,000 people displaced and the UN estimating at least 30,000 families uprooted.
- The military opened two humanitarian corridors for limited hours to let residents flee, and AFP reporters observed civilians leaving under rain with belongings as security forces escorted movements.
- U.S. envoy Tom Barrack urged restraint and a peaceful drawdown in meetings with regional officials, and the evacuation was attributed by the FDS to international mediation amid dueling accusations over heavy weapons and attack drones.