Kurdish groups reject Aleppo withdrawal as US pushes to end fighting

Law enforcement vehicles at an evacuation site, after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) made an agreement with the Syrian government to depart, and evacuate to northeastern Syria after days of fighting with the Syrian army, in Aleppo, Syria, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

ALEPPO, Syria, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Kurdish groups rejected a ‌Syrian government demand for their fighters to withdraw from parts of Aleppo under a ceasefire proposed on Friday, with Damascus conducting new strikes and Western powers urging an end to ‌days of clashes.

The violence in Aleppo has brought into focus one of the main faultlines in Syria as the country tries to rebuild after a devastating war, with Kurdish ‌forces resisting efforts by President Ahmed al-Sharaa's Islamist-led government to bring their fighters under centralised authority.