Clashes broke out Wednesday in Syria's northern city of Aleppo after hundreds of people left two predominantly ethnic Kurdish neighborhoods when the military opened two corridors for civilians to leave the area that witnessed deadly violence a day earlier.
Syria’s military gave people until 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) to leave the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh, after which they would be considered a “closed military area.” Once the deadline ended, sounds of explosions were heard in the two neighborhoods.
The Syrian Civil Defense said that by noon (0900 GMT), around 850 people had left the two neighborhoods, after a day of clashes and shelling that left seven people dead in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and four others in the government-controlled areas. Dozens of people were wounded in the violence.
Syria’s Information Ministry said that the army will launch “a limited military operation” in Aleppo, saying it comes in response to SDF attacks on government-held parts of the largest city in the country and once its commercial center. The ministry said that such attacks by the SDF over the months have killed more than 20 civilians and wounded more than 150 others, and resulted in the deaths of more than 25 soldiers.
The SDF said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that government forces are launching an attack with heavy weapons on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods. It added that Kurdish forces are engaging in “fierce resistance to repel” the assault and protect the neighborhoods and their residents.
The latest round of clashes is the deadliest so far between the two sides, and came as efforts to merge the SDF with the national army have shown little progress.
The two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods have witnessed intermittent clashes in recent months. Previous rounds of fighting ended with truce agreements.
A Kurdish man who left with his wife and four children on Wednesday told The Associated Press that the situation inside the two neighborhoods is harsh, including food and drinking water shortages.
“I am ready to stay in a garden in order to protect my children,” said the man, who didn't give his name because he was fearful of repercussions. He said that he was originally from the northern region of Afrin that was captured by Turkish troops and Turkey-backed gunmen in 2018.
Adiba Allo said a shell hit her home on Tuesday forcing her to flee with her children. She added that they have received text messages with a telephone number to call in case they have no place to stay.
Since Tuesday evening the situation had been relatively calm only to explode again on Wednesday afternoon.
The SDF has tens of thousands of fighters and is the main force to be absorbed into Syria’s military.
The leadership in Damascus under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed a deal in March with the SDF, which controls much of the northeast, for it to merge with the Syrian army by the end of 2025. There have been disagreements on how it would happen. In April, scores of SDF fighters left Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh as part of the deal.
Officials from the central government and SDF met again on Sunday in Damascus, but government officials said that no tangible progress had been made.
Some of the factions that make up the new Syrian army, formed after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel offensive in December 2024, were previously Turkey-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The SDF for years has been the main U.S. partner in Syria in fighting against the Islamic State group, but Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organization because of its association with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey. A peace process is now underway.
The SDF and Syria’s government have accused each other of seeking to derail the March agreement.
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