Residents flee Aleppo as Syrian army, Kurds clash
The Syrian army launched new attacks in parts of Aleppo after ordering residents to leave the area, accusing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces of using Kurdish-majority areas to launch attacks as fighting entered a third day.
The military has released more than seven maps identifying areas it said would be targeted in attacks and urged locals to leave the area immediately for their safety.
The operation command declared a curfew in Şeyh Maksud and Eşrefiye neighborhoods starting from 15:00.
The clashes that started on Tuesday displaced thousands of civilians from their homes and caused many deaths and injuries.
“Almost 13,500 people have left so far today. Most of the cases we saw were women, children and people with special needs, and some patients were evacuated to hospital, while others received medical care in ambulances,” said Faisal Ali, head of operations for the Syrian civil defense forces in Aleppo.
The Kurdish-led SDF said its fighters engaged in intense clashes with Damascus-allied groups and auxiliary forces near Aleppo’s Assyrian neighborhood and suffered heavy casualties.
Conflicting claims over violence and responsibility underscore the deepening and increasingly deadly divide between Syrian and Kurdish officials who have resisted integration into the central government.
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stated that he was deeply concerned about the attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo and warned that targeting civilians and attempts to change the demographics of the region amounted to, in his words, ethnic cleansing.
Barzani called on all parties to act with restraint, protect civilians and continue dialogue.
The SDF accused Syrian government groups of threatening unlawful attacks on civilian areas and said public warnings of bombardment could amount to forced displacement and war crimes under international humanitarian law.
More residents were seen leaving Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh through designated safe corridors.
The SDF is a US-backed alliance that controls most of northeastern Syria and has been the US’s main local partner in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Kurdish-led authorities have established a semi-autonomous administration in those areas and parts of Aleppo during Syria’s 14-year war and have resisted fully integrating into the Islamist-led government that comes to power after the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Syrian officials reached an agreement with the SDF last year that envisions full integration by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited as each side accuses the other of stalling.
The United States attempted to mediate by holding meetings as recently as Sunday, but those talks ended without concrete results.
Diplomats warn that failure to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army risks further violence and could attract Türkiye, which has threatened military action against Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists.
Türkiye said on Thursday it was ready to help Syria if asked after the Syrian army independently launched what it called an “anti-terrorism” operation in Aleppo.
