Syrian govt, Kurdish forces order their troops to halt deadly clashes

• The Syrian Ministry of Defense and Kurdish-led forces issued a ceasefire in Aleppo following a day of heavy shelling that killed at least three people and wounded dozens.
• A high-level Turkish delegation arrived in Damascus to push for the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the national army before a year-end deadline.

Syria's defence ministry and Kurdish-led forces ordered their troops to cease fire on Monday after clashes between the two sides in the northern city of Aleppo killed at least three people.

State news agency SANA cited the defence ministry as saying that the Syrian army's general staff had issued "an order to stop targeting the sources of fire".

The US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces meanwhile said they had "issued directives to our forces to cease responding to attacks".

The flare-up comes as the transitional government faces a year-end deadline to integrate Kurdish institutions and military wings into national structures.

The escalation coincided with a high-level visit to Damascus by a Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and Intelligence Chief İbrahim Kalın.

The delegation met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss bilateral ties and the pending March 10 agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Fatal Clashes in Divided Neighborhoods

Hostilities erupted earlier Monday in Aleppo, Syria’s largest northern city. While the transitional government has controlled Aleppo since the December 2024 overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad, the local Kurdish-controlled neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh remain under the jurisdiction of the SDF and its internal security force, the Asayish.

According to the state-run news agency SANA, two civilians were killed and eight wounded by SDF shelling targeting the city's residential districts.

The Ministry of Interior reported that a security officer and a soldier were also injured in an attack on a city checkpoint.

Conversely, the SDF reported that one woman was killed and 17 civilians were wounded by government-affiliated factions targeting Kurdish districts.

They also noted that two of their personnel were injured.

Both sides have traded accusations over who initiated the "surprise attack."

Integration Deadline Looms

The clashes highlight the fragility of the March 10 agreement, which mandates the integration of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration’s civil and military institutions into the Syrian national framework by the end of 2025.

During a press conference in Damascus, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged the SDF not to become an "obstacle" to Syria's long-term territorial integrity.

"It is important that the SDF be integrated into the Syrian administration through transparent dialogue and reconciliation," Fidan said, expressing concern over the lack of progress as the year-end deadline approaches.

Proposal for Military Merger

Syrian officials confirmed they are currently reviewing a formal response from the SDF regarding a written proposal for military integration. The proposal, delivered to the SDF last week, reportedly outlines a plan to merge Kurdish fighters into the Syrian Army as three distinct divisions and several brigades, including a specialized women's brigade.

Under the plan, these units would remain stationed in their current areas of control in northeast Syria and be managed by their own commanders under the national banner.

A Syrian official stated that Damascus would coordinate its final response with US mediators in the "near future" as regional and international efforts intensify to finalize the deal before January.