<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Spanish government welcomed the ceasefire agreement on Sunday, January 11, to end the armed clashes in Aleppo between Syrian security forces and Kurdish rebel militias.</strong></h4> In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties to comply with the ceasefire and to resume dialogue to implement the agreement reached on March 10, 2025. “Spain reiterates its support for the Syrian people in achieving a peaceful and inclusive political transition that respects the unity and territorial integrity of Syria,” the statement concluded. The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced a ceasefire on Friday after three days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern city of Aleppo, which resulted in more than 140,000 displaced people. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reported the deaths of twelve Kurdish civilians, while Damascus authorities have reported the deaths of nine civilians in government-controlled areas. Finally, Kurdish fighters in Syria announced their withdrawal from Aleppo on Sunday, in compliance with the ceasefire agreement. Hours earlier, the Syrian Army reported the end of operations in the Sde Heikh Maqsud neighborhood, controlled by rebel militias. The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, welcomed the announcement in a statement published on the X network and expressed his “deep gratitude to all parties: the Syrian government, the Syrian Democratic Forces, local authorities, and community leaders, for the restraint and goodwill that made this vital pause possible.” He also stated that Washington is working with the parties to extend the ceasefire beyond the initial six-hour period. In March 2025, the Syrian government signed an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control much of the northeast, for them to merge with the Syrian Army by the end of the year, but this never materialized. Some of the factions that make up the new Syrian Army, formed after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad during a rebel offensive in December 2024, are comprised of Turkish-backed insurgents with a long history of clashes with Kurdish forces. The SDF has been the United States' main partner in Syria for years in the fight against the Islamic State group, but Turkey considers them a terrorist organization due to their association with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Despite this support, the Syrian government of Ahmad al-Sharaa has also strengthened its ties with the Trump administration in the United States.
