Syrian president says SDF failed to honor April agreement in Aleppo

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the terrorist organization YPG/SDF did not abide by the April 1, 2025 agreement concerning the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syrian TV said.

Al-Ikhbariya TV reported that Al-Sharaa said the agreement called for the withdrawal of terrorists under the SDF umbrella from Sheikh Maqsoud, with a limited number of Interior Ministry security personnel remaining, alongside local residents, to manage security and services because of the area's unique social makeup.

The SDF announced at the time that the withdrawal had been completed, he added.

About two months later, however, clashes resumed, and shelling began targeting nearby residential neighborhoods, including Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid, areas home to Arabs, Kurds, and Christians, al-Sharaa said.

He added that shells landed in markets and civilian districts, directly undermining security across Aleppo.

The continued violence has undercut efforts to promote Aleppo as an economic hub, given its industrial and agricultural base and its role as a key trade corridor, he added.

Al-Sharaa said the state cannot attract global investment while shells are fired from a residential neighborhood every few months, emphasizing that protecting Aleppo and ensuring its stability remain a national priority that cannot be compromised.

In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the SDF's integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

In April 2025, Syrian authorities signed a separate agreement concerning the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, stipulating that both districts remain administrative parts of Aleppo city while respecting their local particularities.

The agreement included provisions banning armed manifestations, restricting weapons to internal security forces, and requiring the withdrawal of SDF to areas east of the Euphrates River in northeastern Syria.

However, authorities said the SDF has failed to comply with the terms of those agreements.

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to restore security nationwide since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.