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 stated that the situation was 'terrible and awful'.
Another displaced man described how he was sleeping in a mosque which had been turned into a shelter with his young children, saying the shelling intensified and they had to leave for their safety.
This violence underscores the ongoing challenges for President Ahmad al-Sharaa's government in a country that remains deeply divided after a year of significant change.
In March 2025, the SDF signed a deal to integrate military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state, but tensions remain high, with accusations of undermining agreements on both sides. The situation in Aleppo risks further complicating relations with Turkey, which opposes Kurdish movements in the region.
