President Barzani engages SDF, ENKS leaders as clashes intensify in Syria

Shafaq News– Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani discussed steps to ease tensions in Syria and advance dialogue during talks on Saturday with Syrian Kurdish leaders.

Since December 2025, tensions in Aleppo have intensified between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), leaving at least 24 people dead and around 129 wounded, according to the city’s Health Directorate.

In a statement, the Kurdish Presidency explained that the discussions with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the SDF, and Mohammad Ismail, head of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS), focused on recent developments, including frictions between Syrian army units and the SDF.

The sides emphasized the need to consolidate calm, halt military escalation, and rely on dialogue as the sole means to resolve disputes and ensure peaceful coexistence among Syria’s components.

The visiting delegation also praised Barzani’s efforts to preserve stability and prevent further escalation, the statement added.

Earlier, Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, also met Abdi and Ismail, alongside Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria.

سه‌رۆك نێچيرڤان بارزانى له‌گه‌ڵ فه‌رمانده‌ى (HSD) و سه‌رۆكى (ENKS) كۆبووه‌وه‌https://t.co/hQZkAXSXAH pic.twitter.com/sFqhjwxqHV

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) January 17, 2026