PKK/YPG terrorist group to withdraw from Aleppo districts under new agreement
Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abdul Ghani, who participated in the talks with the terrorist organization PKK/YPG on behalf of the government, commented to AA on the agreement reached on the situation in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyya neighborhoods in Aleppo on 2 April, 2025. (AA Photo)
A new agreement between the Syrian government and the PKK/YPG-affiliated SDF outlines the withdrawal of all armed units from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods in Aleppo, according to Syrian official Lt. Col. Muhammad Abdul Ghani.
Agreement includes transfer of security units to Interior Ministry
Ghani, who represented the Syrian government during negotiations with PKK/YPG, stated, “All military forces in (Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah) will be withdrawn to northeastern Syria. Central committees and the Ministry of Defense will make the necessary arrangements to address the military status of the SDF. No armed forces will remain in these two neighborhoods. Mechanisms will be established. These areas will be demilitarized. The parties are cooperating and aligned in implementing the agreement.”
“The agreement includes provisions that clearly state the current civil and administrative governance of the neighborhoods will be maintained in coordination with the relevant province, municipality, and official institutions,” he further explained.
Civil Administration to remain under local coordination
Abdul Ghani stated that new central committees will be formed to facilitate “integration of local councils and establish operational procedures.”
He also emphasized the transition of local security forces: “As for the internal security forces, they will be unified under a single structure and affiliated with the Interior Ministry. They will assist in managing the situation in these neighborhoods.”
Detainee release and new mechanisms planned
Addressing detainee-related issues, Abdul Ghani stated, “Steps will soon be taken to release detained individuals. Statistics are currently being compiled. Everyone arrested after the (Dec. 8, 2024) liberation will be released.”
“This agreement is limited to Aleppo province, but new agreements will be established via central committees for the evacuation of all prisons,” he said.
He also noted that since the signing of the agreement, “no new detentions have been recorded.”
Checkpoints to replace barricades in Aleppo districts
According to Abdul Ghani, the agreement also mandates “the removal of barricades in the aforementioned neighborhoods.” Committees will be created to establish checkpoints to maintain security in accordance with the agreement’s guidelines.
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