Overview
- Government forces now control Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh after five days of clashes, with hundreds of SDF fighters evacuated to the northeast and residents returning under security sweeps.
- State media published a map marking the Deir Hafer–Maskana belt off-limits and instructing armed groups to move east of the Euphrates, as reinforcements and air defenses headed toward the area.
- The army cited alleged SDF mobilization and drone threats as justification, while the SDF denied any build-up near Aleppo and accused Damascus of seeking pretexts for escalation.
- Thousands protested in Qamishli and other Kurdish-majority areas over the Aleppo takeover, reflecting fears of a wider confrontation and a breakdown in the stalled integration track.
- Some outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that U.S. Central Command urged SDF leader Mazloum Abdi not to resist in Aleppo, a claim that remains unverified.