Aleppo's Kurdish-majority quarters hit by deadly clashes between Damascus, Kurdish forces

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least two person have been killed and around a dozen others injured in clashes that erupted in northern Aleppo on Monday between the Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) and Damascus-affiliated factions, with both sides blaming each other for the fighting that also forced dozens of families to evacuate their homes.

In a statement on X, the Asayish said that “a checkpoint jointly manned by our forces and the [Damscus-affiliated] General Security Forces at the al-Shihan roundabout in [northern] Aleppo came under an armed attack by factions affiliated with the interim defense ministry, leaving two of our personnel injured with varying degrees of wounds.”

The Asayish added that their forces “managed the situation in a way that upheld the right to self-defense while exercising restraint to prevent escalation and ensuring the safety of civilians.”

Similarly, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), affiliated with the Asayish, condemned in a statement on X the “attack carried out by factions affiliated with the defense ministry,” calling it “a clear continuation of uncontrolled escalation that threatens the city’s security and civilian lives, and exposes the Damascus government’s inability to control its factions.”

In later updates, the SDF reported that the clashes had spread to additional areas in the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in northern Aleppo, with “Damascus-affiliated factions using mortar shells and heavy weapons,” resulting in “the injury of five civilians, including a young girl.”

“Residents of the [Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh] neighborhoods, along with the [Kurdish-led] Internal Security Forces [Asayish], continue to confront this aggression, taking all possible measures to protect themselves and civilian lives,” the SDF added.

Official stance

For its part, the Syrian interior ministry rejected the SDF’s statement, accusing “SDF forces stationed in the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods” of “treacherously attacking the internal security forces at the joint checkpoints.”

In a statement on X, the ministry said that the Kurdish-led forces had “suddenly withdrawn” from the joint outposts and “opened fire on the checkpoints, despite the agreements in place.” The statement added that “the attack left one member of the internal security forces and one army soldier injured, along with multiple injuries among civil defense personnel and civilians.”

Similarly, the Syrian defense ministry denied the SDF’s claims, accusing the Kurdish-led forces of launching a “sudden attack” on outposts of the Syrian internal security forces and the Syrian Arab Army in northern Aleppo, “causing casualties among security personnel and army members.

The ministry added that the Syrian army is “responding to SDF fire targeting civilians’ homes and movements, as well as army and security positions around the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods” in northern Aleppo.

In a statement on X, Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Ghareeb urged civilians to avoid “areas of engagement” and “refrain from using roads leading to Aleppo city center until further notice.” He also advised residents along the lines of fire to “remain indoors in safe locations, avoid exposing themselves to danger, and seek information only from official and trusted sources.”

“Readiness has been heightened across all specialized directorates - particularly emergency, disaster, health, services, and social affairs - to ensure rapid response and immediate intervention when needed,” Ghareeb added.

Meanwhile, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) claimed that the SDF has been “randomly shelling several neighborhoods in Aleppo, including al-Jamiliyah and al-Suryan [in central and northwest Aleppo, respectively], with mortars and rocket launchers,” resulting in “the killing of one civilian” and “injuries to several others,” including “two children.”

SANA further said that the SDF reportedly struck al-Razi hospital in Aleppo and caused a wave of displacement from the al-Maydan neighborhoods “due to its targeting of civilian homes with machine guns and mortars.”

The state-run al-Ikhbariya TV also reported that Syrian internal security forces in Aleppo “have cut off all routes leading to the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods” while “facilitating the evacuation of residents caught in the clashes and ensuring ambulances can reach the injured.”

The outlet added that one civilian was killed in the Jamiliyah neighborhood allegedly due to being “directly targeted in the head” by the SDF.

Timing and backdrop

The Monday clashes erupted hours after Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani accused the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of showing “no initiative or serious will” to implement the March 10 integration agreement. He added that “there has been systematic stalling” by the Kurdish-led forces regarding the accord.

Shaibani noted that “the Syrian defense ministry recently presented a simple proposal to positively advance the integration process,” and that the SDF had “responded [to the proposal] yesterday, and its response is currently under review.”

He emphasized that Syria’s reply would be framed within “a single, unified Syrian territory, without division or any form of partition, and without any administrative arrangements that would undermine Syrian sovereignty.”

Shaibani made the remarks during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Damascus.

Fidan stated that his country “attaches great importance to Syria’s stability and is ready to provide all forms of support to achieve it.” He emphasized the significance of implementing the March 10 accord, saying it “would be in everyone’s interest,” while expressing doubts about the SDF’s “intention to implement” the landmark deal.

Of note, Fidan had on Thursday hinted that delays in implementing the March accord were testing Ankara’s patience, stating, “We hope that issues are resolved through dialogue, negotiation, and peaceful means. We do not want to be forced to resort to military options again.”

The clashes also follow warnings from local officials in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh, who told Rudaw last week that livelihoods in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods are “on the verge of a complete halt.”

Nouri Sheikho, co-chair of the General Council for the two neighborhoods, said, “A stifling siege has been imposed on the areas since September 24, with the main roads connecting them to other parts of the city closed,” and urged “relevant authorities to support residents under these difficult circumstances.”

This isn't the first time Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh have drawn attention over deadly violence.

In early October, the Kurdish-majority quarters saw heavy clashes erupt between Damascus-aligned factions and the Kurdish-led Asayish. The violence followed a crackdown by Syrian government forces that left more than a dozen protesters injured, after authorities closed all seven entrances to the neighborhoods.

The Syrian interior ministry spokesperson, Nour al-Din al-Baba, then told Rudaw the shutdown was due to the quarters allegedly “turning into hotbeds for assembling remnants of the defunct regime.”

Meanwhile, Sheikho warned last week that the continuation of “this siege” on the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in northern Aleppo could have dire consequences for residents.

He appealed to the Damascus government as well as local and international communities for support and urged the Kurds in Syria and abroad “not to abandon these two neighborhoods amid their plight.”