At least 12 people have reportedly been killed during two days of intense clashes between Syrian government and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo.
Tens of thousands of civilians have also fled the Kurdish majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, which the Syrian army shelled on Wednesday afternoon after designating them as 'closed military areas'.
The government said the operation was a response to attacks by armed groups in the areas and was 'solely aimed at preserving security'.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia alliance - which insists it has no military presence in Aleppo - called it a 'criminal attempt' to forcibly displace residents.
One Aleppo resident described the situation as 'terrible and awful', adding that many of his friends had already left for safer towns. A displaced father shared that he was sleeping in a mosque shelter due to intensified shelling, highlighting the dire conditions.
This violence underscores the challenges facing the government as the country remains deeply divided a year after the leader's offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad. While the SDF signed a deal in March 2025 to integrate with the Syrian state, actual integration remains fraught with difficulties.
The situation in Aleppo also raises concerns of broader regional implications, particularly regarding Turkey's stance on the Kurdish forces it regards as terrorists.
