SDF to withdraw from eastern Aleppo contact lines
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, announced late on Friday that his forces will withdraw at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday from current contact lines in Aleppo eastern countryside, in what he described as a goodwill gesture following calls from “friendly states and mediators.”
In a statement posted on X in Arabic, Abdi said the redeployment would move SDF units away from frontlines that have come under repeated attacks over the past two days, repositioning them to areas east of the Euphrates River.
He stressed that the decision was taken “based on calls from friendly countries and mediators” and reflected the SDF’s commitment to completing the integration process and implementing the provisions of the March 10 agreement.
Abdi framed the move as a step toward de-escalation and political dialogue rather than a battlefield concession.
Following Abdi’s announcement, Syria’s Ministry of Defense welcomed the decision, saying it “welcomes the withdrawal of the ‘SDF’ from contact areas west of the Euphrates.”
The ministry added that it would “closely monitor the full completion of the withdrawal — with all equipment and personnel — to areas east of the Euphrates.”
It further stated that units of the Syrian Arab Army would begin deploying in the vacated areas “to secure them and impose state sovereignty,” describing the move as a preparatory step to ensure “the safe and rapid return of residents to their homes and villages” and the restoration of state institutions.
Abdi’s decision comes amid heightened tensions in Dayr Hafir town, east of Aleppo, where shelling by forces of the Syrian transitional government over the past 48 hours have raised fears of wider escalation.
Observers see the planned SDF withdrawal as a potential step toward lowering military friction, though the durability of any calm remains uncertain.
Separately, Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, issued a conciliatory message toward Syrian Kurds, describing them as an “authentic pillar” of the Syrian nation.
“Syrian identity has always united all its sons and daughters,” he said. “Our Kurdish brothers are a core part of this identity — they are from us and we are from them.”
He added that Syria’s strength lies in social cohesion and that unity is essential to confront challenges and build “a free homeland that accommodates all our dreams.”
Al-Shaibani’s message followed a presidential decree by Ahmad al-Sharaa that enshrined the cultural and linguistic rights of Syrian Kurds and reaffirmed their status as an essential part of Syria’s diverse society.