Syrian governor says life getting normal in parts of Aleppo after terrorists' withdrawal

By Rasa Evrensel and Rania Abushamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib announced that life is gradually returning to normal in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo city in northern Syria after the YPG/SDF terror group was driven out.

On Jan. 10, the Syrian army succeeded in liberating the two neighborhoods in Aleppo by expelling the SDF from areas it had controlled west and east of the Euphrates River.

In a statement published on Friday evening and carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), al-Gharib said that “the end of the emergency phase of the humanitarian response in Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud, and the full return of security and stability to the area, have allowed life to gradually return to normal,” noting that the rate of residents’ return has exceeded 90%.

He also announced the reopening of the Ashrafieh Post Office to provide postal and civil registry services.

In the transport sector, three public transport lines have been activated to facilitate citizens’ movement, in addition to reopening roads that had been closed with earthen or concrete barriers, improving traffic flow and easing residents’ access to their neighborhoods.

Al-Gharib added that 80% of the electricity network has been rehabilitated and maintained, with power lines being gradually restored to service, positively impacting residents’ living conditions.

In the education sector, he said work is underway to rehabilitate 10 schools scheduled to resume service at the start of the second academic term, allowing students to return to their classrooms in a safe environment.

On Tuesday, the Syrian presidency announced reaching a “mutual understanding” with the SDF that includes wide-ranging military, administrative, and political integration mechanisms, with implementation beginning the same evening.

This understanding came after a military operation was launched by the Syrian Army days earlier, during which it regained large areas in eastern and northeastern Syria.