Syria Declares Aleppo Ceasefire After Intense Clashes Displace 140,000

• Syria's government declared a ceasefire in Aleppo after three days of severe clashes with Kurdish forces, displacing over 140,000 people.
• The truce, effective 3 am local time, requires Kurdish militants to withdraw from Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid with safe passage to north-east Syria.
• The durability of the ceasefire is uncertain as the SDF has not confirmed agreement, and past truces in Aleppo have frequently collapsed.
• The US special envoy, Tom Barrack, welcomed the ceasefire, while relations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led SDF remain strained.
• Both sides accuse each other of war crimes, and Turkey views the SDF as linked to the PKK, complicating peace efforts.

Why It Matters: Syria declares a fragile ceasefire in Aleppo after intense clashes, but its long-term success remains uncertain.