Syrian army says stopping Aleppo military operations

The Syrian army said on Saturday that it was halting military operations in an Aleppo neighbourhood following days of clashes, but Kurdish forces there maintained they were still under attack, with a correspondent nearby reporting sporadic gunfire.

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The violence in Syria's second city erupted after efforts to integrate the Kurds’ de facto autonomous administration and military into the country’s new government stalled.

Since the fighting began on Tuesday, at least 21 civilians have been killed, according to figures from both sides, while Aleppo’s governor said 155,000 people have been displaced.

In a statement to the official SANA news agency, the military announced “a halt to all military operations in the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood” from 3:00 pm (1200 GMT) on Saturday, adding that Kurdish forces there would be “transferred” to the Kurdish-controlled city of Tabaqa in northeastern Syria.

But the Kurdish forces said their fighters were still repelling a “fierce attack,” and called the army statement “a blatant attempt to mislead public opinion.”

Government forces began striking the district overnight after a deadline elapsed for Kurdish fighters to withdraw during a ceasefire.