US urges halt to Aleppo fighting as Syrian Interior Ministry begins security plan
Shafaq News- Aleppo
The United States is closely following developments in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo with grave concern, US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stated, urging all parties to pause hostilities, reduce tensions immediately, and commit to de-escalation.
Posting on X, Barrack said that the US “remains steadfast in the vision of a Syria that ensures full inclusion and equal rights for every citizen—Sunni, Kurd, Druze, Christian, Alawite, and all other communities—without exception.”
He added that just this past week, “we stood on the threshold of successfully concluding the March 10, 2025, integration agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government,” affirming that this objective “remains eminently achievable.”
Barrack expressed readiness with US allies “to facilitate efforts to de-escalate tensions and to afford Syria and its people a renewed opportunity to choose the path of dialogue over division.”
The United States is closely following developments in the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo with grave concern. We urge all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to place the protection of civilian lives and property above all other considerations.…
— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) January 8, 2026
Earlier, the commander-in-chief of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, warned against what he described as a potential repeat of violence seen in Syria’s coastal regions and the southern city of Suwayda in Aleppo, cautioning against unilateral solutions imposed through continued fighting and the use of force.
These developments come amid repeated clashes in and around Aleppo, particularly near Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, with the Syrian government and the SDF exchanging accusations over violations of agreements previously signed between the two sides.
The Syrian Interior Ministry declared it started the internal security forces deployments in Ashrafieh “as part of a plan to reestablish security and stability in areas recently handed over to the state following the withdrawal of the SDF.”
In a statement, the ministry said its units” had begun carrying out duties to protect civilians and prevent any security breaches or acts of disorder.”
According to the ministry, the move comes after Ashrafieh was transferred to state control, “marking a new phase in security arrangements in northern Aleppo following days of heightened tensions.”
