Mazloum Abdi: SDF will withdraw its forces in eastern Aleppo

The commander of the PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, announced late Friday evening that his forces would withdraw from their current positions east of Aleppo at 7:00 AM local time on Saturday and redeploy to areas east of the Euphrates River.

In a post on the X platform, Abdi added that this move came in response to calls from friendly countries and mediators, and as a demonstration of good faith in completing the integration process and adhering to the terms of the March 10th agreement.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense welcomed the SDF withdrawal from the contact lines west of the Euphrates, stating that it would closely monitor the complete withdrawal of the SDF, with all its equipment and personnel, to the east of the Euphrates River.

The Ministry added that it would begin deploying army units to secure the areas vacated by the SDF and enforce state sovereignty.

In the same context, a Syrian military source told Al Jazeera that shelling of SDF positions in the Deir Hafer area of ​​eastern Aleppo countryside had completely ceased.

This comes after a Syrian military source told Al Jazeera that the Syrian army shelled positions held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the city of Deir Hafer in eastern Aleppo province. The source added that the shelling was in retaliation for attacks on PKK and regime positions in the city.

The source further stated that the targeted sites in Deir Hafer were SDF and allied military bases from which Iranian drones had been launched toward Aleppo. He added that these sites played a significant role in shelling eastern Aleppo province and preventing residents from leaving.

Al Jazeera, Zaman al-Wasl