Syria's army has announced it will renew attacks against a Kurdish-majority district of Aleppo after Kurdish groups rejected ceasefire terms that demanded their fighters withdraw from the city. The military said it would target military sites used by Kurdish fighters in the Sheikh Maqsoud district, while opening a humanitarian corridor for civilians to leave on Friday afternoon.
The ceasefire, which came into effect at 3am local time on Friday, had required Kurdish militants to leave three contested neighbourhoods—Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh and Bani Zaid—and be provided safe passage to north-east Syria, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Kurdish councils called the demand "a call to surrender" and said their forces would defend their neighbourhoods.
Tens of thousands of people have fled the fighting, the most intense in Syria for more than six months, which has killed at least 21 people since clashes erupted on Tuesday. A resident of Aleppo said fighting appeared to cease overnight, with gunfire that had been constant in recent days stopping.
Relations between the Syrian government and the SDF, which holds about a third of Syria's territory, have worsened in recent months. A deal to integrate the SDF into Syria's new army by the end of last year has stalled, with both sides accusing each other of war crimes. The SDF leader, Mazloum Abdi, said the conflict had undermined "the chances of reaching understandings".
The Syrian government said it needed to extend control over all of Syria to preserve its unity. The SDF accused Damascus of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, while the government claimed the SDF was using civilians as human shields. The US, which has backed the SDF, has tried to mediate a merger, while Turkey, a key backer of Damascus, said it was ready to assist the Syrian government if requested.
