DAMASCUS, Jan 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US envoy Tom Barrack on Friday welcomed a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo after days of deadly fighting between the army and Kurdish fighters forced thousands of civilians to flee.

"The United States warmly welcomes the temporary ceasefire achieved last night in Aleppo's Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods and extends profound gratitude to all parties -- the Syrian government, the Syrian Democratic Forces, local authorities, and community leaders -- for the restraint and goodwill that made this vital pause possible," Barrack wrote on X.