In the early hours of January 11, 2026, Aleppo, Syria’s storied northern city, became the stage for a dramatic military shift that could have far-reaching consequences for the region’s fragile stability. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, new military movements swept across Aleppo as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) advanced from their long-held enclaves in Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud, heading north and northeast out of the city. This marked the end of a tense standoff that had gripped the city for months.
Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya confirmed that the last SDF fighters had left Aleppo, signaling the conclusion of a complex and delicate negotiation process. The withdrawal was not merely a tactical maneuver—it was the result of painstaking talks, fraught with setbacks and breakthroughs, between the SDF, Syrian government representatives, and mediating parties. As the dust settled, the city’s residents watched a convoy of buses, led by Red Crescent vehicles, ferrying the departing fighters toward the safety of SDF-controlled territories in northern and eastern Syria.
The operation unfolded amid heightened security measures. As reported by Sky News Arabia, the evacuation began at dawn with buses loading up the last group of SDF fighters from Sheikh Maqsoud, a densely populated district in northern Aleppo. Overhead, four reconnaissance drones circled the skies, their presence a stark reminder of the risks involved in such a high-stakes withdrawal. The drones were tasked with ensuring the safe passage of the convoy and monitoring the volatile situation on the ground.
A Syrian military source told Sky News Arabia that approximately 350 SDF fighters—including foreign members affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)—had been holed up in a hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud. These fighters were now being relocated to SDF-held areas in northeast Syria. The source emphasized that the evacuation was the product of recent security understandings reached after protracted and, at times, stalled negotiations. "The last batch of buses carrying SDF fighters left the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, escorted by Red Crescent vehicles," the source stated, highlighting the humanitarian and logistical efforts that underpinned the operation.
The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. Negotiations had faltered the previous evening, raising fears of a violent escalation in a city still scarred by years of conflict. However, last-minute mediation succeeded in opening a corridor for the fighters’ safe exit, averting what could have been a devastating military confrontation in Aleppo’s crowded residential districts. The stakes were high: both sides understood that renewed fighting could inflict heavy civilian casualties and further destabilize the city.
For months leading up to this moment, tensions around Sheikh Maqsoud had been building. The area, long a stronghold for various armed groups outside the control of the Syrian state, had become the focus of mounting military and security pressure. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the SDF launched a new wave of attacks in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, aiming to secure control over Aleppo’s eastern districts after fierce clashes with opposition factions. The Observatory reported that the SDF targeted positions held by the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria (PKK), with heavy artillery and airstrikes pounding opposition sites throughout the city.
The Observatory’s reports painted a picture of a city on edge. The military campaign was intense, with both sides suffering casualties. Around 350 fighters from SDF-affiliated factions took part in the operation, underscoring the scale of the engagement. The use of heavy weaponry and aerial bombardment signaled just how high the stakes had become—not just for the fighters involved, but for the hundreds of thousands of civilians living in Aleppo’s labyrinthine neighborhoods.
As the SDF withdrew, the broader implications of the operation came into focus. The Syrian government, eager to reassert its authority over Aleppo, had made it clear that the days of armed groups operating independently within the city were numbered. The evacuation of SDF fighters was seen as a crucial step in the government’s ongoing campaign to restore full control over all of Aleppo—once Syria’s largest city and a symbol of the country’s diverse heritage and tragic recent history.
Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the SDF, confirmed that a ceasefire agreement had been reached, allowing for the safe evacuation of both civilians and besieged fighters from Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud. He stated that the deal was designed to "prevent further bloodshed and to protect the lives of those trapped by the fighting." The agreement, he added, reflected the SDF’s commitment to prioritizing civilian safety amid the chaos of war.
Behind the scenes, the negotiations had been anything but straightforward. According to sources involved in the talks, the process was marked by repeated breakdowns and last-minute interventions by mediators determined to prevent a humanitarian disaster. The involvement of the Red Crescent and the visible presence of reconnaissance drones underscored the seriousness with which all parties approached the evacuation.
The withdrawal also highlighted the complex web of alliances and rivalries that define the Syrian conflict. The SDF, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has often found itself caught between the competing interests of the Syrian government, various opposition groups, and regional powers. The presence of PKK-affiliated fighters among the withdrawing forces added another layer of complexity, given the group’s contentious status in Syria and neighboring countries.
For the people of Aleppo, the departure of the SDF fighters brought a mixture of relief and uncertainty. On the one hand, the evacuation reduced the immediate risk of urban warfare erupting in their neighborhoods. On the other, it raised questions about what would come next. Would the Syrian government move quickly to reestablish its authority? Could new power vacuums emerge, inviting fresh rounds of violence?
As the buses carrying the SDF fighters disappeared into the distance, Aleppo’s residents were left to ponder their city’s future. The events of January 11, 2026, represented both an end and a beginning—a closing chapter in one of the many battles that have shaped modern Syria, and the start of a new, uncertain phase in Aleppo’s ongoing search for peace.
In the days ahead, the eyes of the region will remain fixed on Aleppo, watching to see whether the fragile calm can hold and whether the lessons of this latest crisis will help pave the way for a more stable, inclusive future for all Syrians.
