Clashes Resume in Aleppo Amid Rising Tensions

Clashes have resumed in the Syrian city of Aleppo between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), leading the Syrian Army to declare the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods closed military zones.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Army’s Operations Command announced that SDF military positions in Aleppo would be considered legitimate targets. The statement followed renewed shelling and armed clashes between the two sides in and around residential areas.

According to the Operations Command, SDF positions located within the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods are now classified as military targets, citing what it described as increased military activity by the group in Aleppo.

Fighting and shelling intensified around the two neighborhoods, coinciding with the implementation of a curfew. Local reports indicated that multiple shells landed near the Ashrafieh area amid clashes along the city’s northern front lines.

The SDF, for its part, reported observing the deployment of approximately 80 Syrian government military vehicles near Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. The group said the buildup could signal further escalation and warned of the possibility of a wider confrontation.

On Tuesday, SDF forces shelled residential areas and an army position in Aleppo using artillery and heavy machine guns, according to Syrian state media. The shelling reportedly resulted in five deaths, including four civilians—among them two women—and injured at least 21 others.

As fighting escalated, residents of Kurdish-majority neighborhoods reportedly began leaving their homes, with many seeking refuge in other parts of the city.