Joint checkpoints set up in Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo

On Sunday, several checkpoints were dismantled in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo as part of an agreement concluded on April 1 between the General Council of the Kurdish districts of Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsûd) and Ashrafiyah (Eşrefiyê) and the transitional government in Damascus.

The 14-point agreement aims, among other things, to improve civilian life and facilitate freedom of movement within the city. The implementation of the fifth point, the demilitarization of public space, has now begun. Old road barricades have been removed to this end.

New joint checkpoints are being set up at selected locations. In the future, these will be operated by both the Asayish, the internal security force in northern and eastern Syria, and security personnel from Damascus. The aim is to ensure public safety in Aleppo without further disrupting civilian life.

The first measures began with the opening of the main road near the large intersection in the west of Ashrafiyah. Representatives of both sides worked together on Sunday to remove the barriers and restore traffic flow.

The new agreement is seen as a further step in the deepening dialogue between the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and the Syrian central government. Observers see the development as a sign of a growing willingness to cooperate at the local level.