The United States envoy to Syria is urging the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities to "return to dialogue" following days of deadly clashes in Aleppo.
Tom Barrack said Saturday that he met with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa to "discuss recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria's historic transition."
"President Trump recognizes this moment as a pivotal opportunity for a new Syria — a unified nation in which all communities, including Arab, Kurdish, Druze, Christian, Alawite, Turkmen, Assyrian, and others, are treated with respect and dignity and afforded meaningful participation in governance and security institutions," Barrack posted on X. "In recognition of this opportunity, he agreed to lift sanctions in order to 'give Syria a chance' to move forward."
Clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid, after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge their forces into the national army. Security forces have since captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
Over five days of clashes between Syrian security forces and Kurdish fighters, at least 22 people have been killed and dozens of others wounded.
On Saturday, Syria's state news agency SANA reported that two Kurdish fighters blew themselves up while surrounded by security forces without inflicting casualties.
On Saturday afternoon, an explosive drone hit the Aleppo Governorate building shortly after two Cabinet ministers and a local official held a news conference on the developments in the city, state TV said. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Syria's state TV aired the footage, which allegedly showed the drone exploding in the building, and blamed Kurdish fighters for the attack. The main Kurdish-led force in the country denied the reports, saying its fighters did not attack a civilian target.
From the early hours, Syrian security forces were sweeping the neighborhood after calling on residents to stay home for their own safety.
Hundreds of people who fled the neighborhood days earlier were waiting at Sheikh Maqsoud's entrances to be allowed in once the military operations were over.
The fighting also displaced more than 140,000 people.
Syrian security forces began deploying on Saturday in a neighborhood in the northern city
Syria's Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa told state TV that Kurdish fighters used civilian buildings, including hospitals and clinics, during the fighting. Each side has accused the other of starting the violence and of deliberately targeting civilian neighborhoods and infrastructure, including ambulance crews and hospitals.
The Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which controls much of Syria's northeast, said that security forces targeted Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, putting the lives of patients and paramedics in danger. It called on the international community to intervene to force government forces to stop shelling.
State TV reported that at least one security member was wounded when a drone fired by the SDF struck the neighborhood.
Associated Press journalists said bursts of gunfire could be heard as government-deployed drones flew over Sheikh Maqsoud.
The Syrian military declared the neighborhood a "closed military zone" since Friday night as it launched a "clearing operation."
Barrack urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities and return to dialogue."
"Violence risks undermining the progress achieved since the fall of the Assad regime and invites external interference that serves no party's interests," he said.
In Jordan, state media reported that Barrack also discussed the developments in Syria with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Jordan offered support to efforts aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and the peaceful withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from Aleppo, media reported.
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