Civilians ordered to leave Aleppo Kurdish neighbourhoods as Syrian army and SDF clash

Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
2h ago
The Syrian army declared Aleppo’s Kurdish neighbourhoods closed military zones, ordered civilians to leave, and said it would open humanitarian corridors as clashes with the Kurdish-led SDF continued for a second day.
Civilians ordered to leave Aleppo Kurdish neighbourhoods as Syrian army and SDF clash
A What happened
The Syrian army declared Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods closed military zones and ordered civilians to leave as clashes with the Syrian Democratic Forces continued on Wednesday. Officials said the clashes killed nine people on Tuesday. The Syrian Civil Defence said it evacuated 850 civilians from Aleppo by about midday, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions and shelling by the SDF. A Syrian security source told Al Jazeera that prisoners escaped from the SDF-run al-Shafiq prison to safe areas in Aleppo, without specifying a number.
★

Key insights

  • 1

    Closed military zones and evacuation corridors announced: The Syrian army said Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh would be closed military zones starting at 3pm (12:00 GMT) and said it would operate humanitarian corridors for civilians to leave.

  • 2

    SDF warned of escalation: The SDF said Syrian army vehicle deployments near Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah were a dangerous indicator warning of escalation and the possibility of a major war.

  • 3

    March merger deal remains unimplemented: A March deal to merge SDF civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the Syrian state has not been carried out.

Takeaways

Fighting persisted in Aleppo as the Syrian army moved to clear civilians from Kurdish neighbourhoods and treat SDF positions there as military targets.

Topics

World & Politics Conflicts Security & Defense Law & Public Safety Public Safety

Stay ahead with OwlBrief

Daily briefs that distill the world’s important events — clear, verified, and designed for understanding.

Create Free Account Sign In

Newsletter

Get OwlBrief in your inbox

A fast, high-signal digest of the day’s most important events — plus the context that makes them make sense.

Quick to read. Useful all day.