Syrian army announces stop to Aleppo offensive, but Kurdish fighters deny halt

The Syrian army announced a halt to its military operation in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood, but Kurdish forces on the ground denied that the attacks had ceased. Violence broke out after efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the country's new government stalled. The fighting has led to at least 21 civilian deaths and displaced 155,000 people. Following the announcement, Syrian authorities began transporting surrendered Kurdish fighters by bus to the Kurdish-controlled city of Tabaqa.