Overview
- After a brief, failed pause early Friday, the SDF said they reached an agreement leading to a ceasefire and the exit of fighters and civilians from contested districts.
- Syria’s army and state media reported buses carrying departing personnel from Sheikh Maqsud and said military operations had ended, though Kurdish sources had reported continued clashes earlier Saturday.
- Displacement soared, with the UN citing roughly 30,000 people uprooted and local officials reporting up to about 155,000 leaving the hardest-hit neighborhoods.
- Casualty counts varied widely, with reports ranging from more than 20 deaths to over 60, and rights groups and Kurds alleging shelling of civilian areas and damage to medical facilities.
- International actors pressed for talks, with US envoy Tom Barrack urging a return to 2025 integration agreements and EU leaders visiting Damascus to pledge reconstruction support, while Turkey signaled readiness to assist Damascus against the SDF.