Aleppo Strikes Intensify Against Kurdish Forces in Syria

Aleppo Fighting Intensifies as Syrian Army Combs Neighborhood

A ceasefire in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood has expired, leading to increased fighting between the Syrian army and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters. According to reports, over 162,000 people have fled the area due to violence.

The Syrian army claims to be making progress in the neighborhood, controlling approximately 55% of the area. However, SDF fighters have refused to withdraw under the ceasefire agreement, which was imposed as part of a temporary truce.

Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, reported that several members of the SDF were arrested during military operations in Sheikh Maqsoud on Friday evening. The Syrian Ministry of Defence had declared the ceasefire earlier in the day, following three days of clashes between the central government and the SDF.

The SDF rejected any “surrender” and pledged to defend areas under their control. The Syrian army warned it would renew strikes on Sheikh Maqsoud if residents did not evacuate through a humanitarian corridor.

Violence has flared in the neighborhood, with both sides accusing each other of war crimes. The SDF posted footage showing alleged artillery and drone attacks on Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, while the Syrian army claimed the hospital was a weapons depot.

At least 22 people have been killed and 173 others wounded in Aleppo since the fighting broke out on Tuesday. The director of Syria’s civil defence reported that 159,000 people had been displaced by fighting in the city.

The violence has brought attention to the main faultline in Syria, with powerful Kurdish forces resisting integration efforts by the government. A deal between the SDF and Damascus was struck last year, but progress has been slow.

Source: Al Jazeera