Clashes Erupt in Aleppo: Civilians Flee as Military Zones Declared

WISE NEWS PRESS / ALEPPO, SYRIA

Heavy clashes broke out in northern Aleppo between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), prompting the military to declare Kurdish-majority neighborhoods as "closed military zones" and triggering a mass exodus of civilians.

The fighting centered on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh districts, where thousands of residents have abandoned their homes with whatever belongings they could carry. The Syrian Army announced that as of 15:00, all SDF positions within these neighborhoods would be considered "legitimate military targets," while promising two humanitarian corridors for the safe exit of non-combatants.

Deadlock Over the March 10 Agreement

The escalation comes at a critical time as the timeline for the "March 10 Agreement," signed in 2025 between SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s transitional President Ahmed Shara, reached its deadline without full implementation. The accord was intended to integrate the SDF into the national army and hand over control of strategic border crossings and oil fields to Damascus. However, recent high-level meetings in the capital failed to produce a final signature, leading to a breakdown in diplomatic efforts and a surge in frontline hostilities.

Allegations of an "Extermination War"

Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of Foreign Relations for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava), accused the Damascus government of launching an "extermination war" against the Kurdish population. Meanwhile, the SDF General Command denied claims of active military operations in the area, asserting that the neighborhoods had been under a state of siege for over six months and that the army's bombardment was being used as a pretext for "massacres against civilians."

Rising Casualties and Military Build-up

Syrian state news agency SANA reported that SDF shelling killed one soldier and three civilians, including two women, while wounding several others at a local government office. Conversely, the SDF blamed government artillery for the civilian deaths, claiming a shell hit a residential area while the army was targeting Sheikh Maqsoud. As heavy reinforcements, including armored vehicles and tanks, move toward the district perimeters, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirms that thousands remain displaced in what has become a rapidly expanding combat zone.

www.wisenewspress.com

Source: DW