ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least four people were killed on Tuesday in renewed clashes between Damascus-aligned factions and Kurdish forces in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of northern Aleppo, according to Syrian state media.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that "one member of the Syrian Arab Army was killed and others were injured" after the Syrian Ddemocratic Forces reportedly "targeted army deployment positions with drones in the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood," north of Aleppo.
SANA further cited the head of Aleppo province’s media directorate as saying that three defense ministry personnel were injured. He further urged residents of Aleppo to "stay away from contact areas and to disperse gatherings" near the predominantly Kurdish Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods in northern Aleppo, "until the area is fully secured, and to cooperate with [Syrian] Internal Security Forces and police who are regulating traffic in the city’s streets."
The Syrian state news agency added that the Syrian army "is targeting SDF drone launch sites in the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood."
In a later report, SANA said that "the number of casualties from SDF shelling of residential buildings in Aleppo’s al-Midan neighborhood [northeast of Aleppo] has risen to three civilians, including two women."
In a similar vein, the state-run al-Ikhbariya TV said Tuesday that "the Gaziantep-Aleppo road has been closed from the Layramoun and Shihan roundabouts" amid the renewed clashes. The outlet added that Syrian Internal Security Forces are escorting civilians leaving Aleppo’s Ashrafiyeh neighborhood after the SDF reportedly "violated [previously signed ceasefire] agreements with the Syrian government."
Ikhbariya further accused the Kurdish-led forces of "shelling security outposts and residential neighborhoods" in Aleppo with "mortars and sniper fire," particularly around the Shihan and Layramoun roundabouts near Ashrafiyeh, adding that "injured individuals continue to be taken to al-Razi Hospital" due to the renewed fighting.
Kurdish response
The Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in Aleppo on Tuesday accused "armed factions affiliated with the [Syrian interim] government shelled civilian neighborhoods," describing the attacks as a "new violation of [existing] agreements" with Damascus.
The SDF-affiliated Asayish added that the shelling "caused significant material damage in the area and heightened tension among civilians," holding Damascus-aligned armed factions responsible for the "hostile acts" that "directly affect the lives of citizens and the stability of the region."
In a follow-up statement, the Asayish accused "factions affiliated with the interim defense ministry" of launching attacks on Sheikh Maqsood, including using a drone, which resulted in the "martyrdom of one citizen, the injury of two others, and significant property damage."
The Kurdish Internal Security Forces added that they "responded firmly to these attacks," targeting "two outposts" belonging to Damascus-aligned armed factions, emphasizing that "our responses will remain within the framework of the law and the legitimate defense of civilian lives and property."
"We call on all parties to respect civilian rights and refrain from targeting residential areas," the Asayish in Aleppo said.
For their part, the SDF on Tuesday released a photo of a civilian identified as 41-year-old Fatima Hamadeh, who "was martyred as a result of the heavy shelling on the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo, carried out by factions affiliated with the Damascus government."
In a statement on X, the Kurdish-led forces added that "the shelling also injured a number of civilians, including women and children, as part of a series of indiscriminate attacks targeting residential areas." In a previous post, the SDF reported that 17 civilians were injured in "artillery and rocket shelling" carried out by Damascus-affiliated factions, sharing images of some of the wounded, including two young girls - two-year-old Ivan Abdo and three-year-old Sham Dallo.
The Kurdish-led forces also shared footage they said was "released by factions affiliated with the Damascus [interim] government, showing their use of heavy artillery to shell the densely-populated Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods." The SDF condemned the "aggressive attack that endangers civilian lives" as "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law."
Of note, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a landmark agreement on March 10, outlining the integration of "all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state" and establishing a "ceasefire across all Syrian territory."
A follow-up agreement, signed in early April - with the presence of American representatives - created a joint security framework for Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh. Under the agreement, SDF fighters withdrew from the two neighborhoods, though local security forces, the Asayish, remain deployed.
Despite repeatedly denying involvement in the clashes in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh, state-run Syrian media continue to frame the confrontations as being with the SDF rather than other Kurdish forces.
Last updated at 6:00 pm.
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