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yesterday

Syria Declares Aleppo’s Kurdish Districts Military Zones as Fighting Escalates

The designation follows failed negotiations over integrating the SDF into state forces.

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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
Residents carry their belongings as they are fleeing 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)
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Overview

  • Army commanders named SDF positions in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah as legitimate targets, opened two evacuation corridors, and set a 3 p.m. deadline before shelling was reported.
  • Thousands of residents fled the affected neighborhoods, with government civil defence units and the Red Crescent assisting evacuations.
  • Authorities suspended flights to and from Aleppo airport for 24 hours and closed schools, universities and some public offices, disrupting movement across key city roads.
  • Reported death tolls vary across outlets, with between at least four and up to nine people killed, as the government and SDF traded blame for strikes that hit civilian areas.
  • Syria’s information ministry signaled a limited military operation would follow alleged SDF attacks, while Turkey reiterated that PKK‑linked groups, including the SDF/YPG, must lay down arms.