ALEPPO, Syria – The United States and the European Union urged during the weekend the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities to return to negotiations after days of deadly clashes in the northern city of Aleppo.
Conflicting reports emerged from the city, as authorities announced a halt to the fighting and said they had begun transferring Kurdish fighters out of Aleppo, but Kurdish forces denied the claims shortly after.
An AFP correspondent saw at least five buses on Saturday carrying men leaving the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsud district, accompanied by security forces.
While the authorities said they were fighters, the Kurdish forces insisted they were “civilians who were forcibly displaced”.
AFP could not independently verify the men’s identities.
Another correspondent saw at least six buses entering the neighborhood and leaving without anyone on board, with relative calm in the area.
US envoy Tom Barrack met Saturday with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and afterwards issued a call for a “return to dialogue” with the Kurds in accordance with an integration agreement sealed last year.
A statement from the European Union called for an end to fighting in and around Aleppo to protect the civilian population.
“We urge all parties to implement the ceasefire announced today and to return urgently to a political dialogue for a political solution,” the statement added.
