Syrian army and SDF reach ceasefire deal in Aleppo city following clashes

The Syrian army and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached a ceasefire deal in two districts of Aleppo city, Syria's state news agency SANA said on Tuesday, following a spike in tensions between the two sides, Report informs via Reuters.

The Syrian army had redeployed along several frontlines with the Kurdish-led group in northeast Syria, the Defence Ministry said on Monday, saying the move was not a prelude to military action but to prevent repeated attacks and attempts by the SDF to seize territory.

Recent clashes between the two sides have cast a shadow over a landmark deal signed in March between the Kurdish-led SDF and Syria's new government to integrate the SDF into state institutions.

The deal aimed to stitch together a country fractured by 14 years of war and pave the way for Kurdish-led forces that hold a quarter of Syria to merge with Damascus, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies.

Witnesses said the Syrian army had earlier sealed off two neighbourhoods in Aleppo, both under SDF control, prompting scattered protests by residents.

Witnesses also said sporadic clashes continued on the outskirts of the two Kurdish-run neighbourhoods, with residents reporting rockets fired from inside the districts hitting nearby residential areas.