People In Syria Are Fleeing Aleppo After Clashes Erupted Between The Government And Kurdish-Led Forces
On Jan. 6, clashes erupted between the government forces and the SDF as both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes.
Thousands of Syrians are fleeing Aleppo as deadly clashes have erupted between the government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF is a Kurdish-dominated, US-backed group that controls significant parts of northeastern Syria, including Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo, primarily the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods
During the civil war, the group focused on defeating ISIS and remained neutral toward both former Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and rebel forces.
After toppling Assad, interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa signed in March 2025 an agreement with the head of SDF, Mazloum Abdi, to integrate the SDF into all of the Syrian state’s military and civilian entities.
The agreement stated that the SDF-controlled areas would come under the Syrian government's control and the Kurdish population would be recognized as a vital part of Syria, with Kurds who were previously denied citizenship becoming citizens.
The agreement also included a halt in fighting on all Syrian territories, with the SDF assisting the new government in fighting against pro-Assad fighters.
The agreement was due to be implemented by the end of 2025, but the government said the SDF has been stalling.
On Tuesday, Jan. 6, clashes erupted between the government forces and the SDF as both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes.
The SDF reportedly launched a drone attack on Tuesday, targeting army positions around the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, killing one soldier and injuring three others, according to state-run media SANA.
Aleppo officials said in a statement that the SDF attack was a “new violation” of agreements signed with the Syrian government, adding that the country’s Internal Security Forces and local police have been deployed to manage traffic and maintain order in the city.
Syrian forces then responded by launching strikes targeting SDF drone launch sites in Sheikh Maqsoud, SANA reported.
The clashes escalated, with attacks targeting residential areas near the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods and shelling reaching a hospital.
Aleppo authorities suspended school, government operations and all flights at Aleppo’s airport as three civilians were killed.
The Syrian army said that all SDF military positions within Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh are legitimate military targets, following the group's significant escalation of attacks on Aleppo's
Authorities announced on Wednesday, Jan. 7, a complete curfew in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, starting 3 pm local time, adding that the government has created two safe humanitarian corridors, the Al-Awarid Crossing and the Al-Zuhour Street Crossing, which will remain open until 3 pm local time for people to evacuate the area.
Civil defense teams said they evacuated more than 2,324 people before the curfew started and moved them to designated shelters.
The clashes, which are still ongoing, have killed more than nine people and injured dozens of others, Al Jazeera reported.
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Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
