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13h ago

Syria Declares Aleppo’s Kurdish Districts Military Zones as Clashes Intensify

The move follows stalled talks on folding the Kurdish-led SDF into state forces under a 2025 agreement.

An aerial view shows Syrian residents in vehicles, queueing to flee from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A car burns during clashes between Kurdish fighters and Syrian government forces in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Image
A woman carries her child as she flees, following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

Overview

  • The army designated Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah as closed military zones from 3pm local time, opened evacuation corridors, and resumed shelling after the deadline expired.
  • Authorities suspended flights to and from Aleppo airport, closed schools, universities and government offices, and civil defence units reported thousands of residents fleeing.
  • Officials and local sources reported divergent death tolls since Tuesday, ranging from at least four to more than a dozen, with dozens more wounded and both sides accusing the other of indiscriminate fire.
  • Damascus said all SDF sites are legitimate targets, announced a limited operation and demanded Kurdish fighters leave the districts, while the SDF denied striking civilians and said its forces are resisting.
  • The flare-up follows months of stalled implementation of a March integration deal and talks this week that yielded no progress, with analysts warning the impasse risks broader escalation that could draw in Turkey.