By Micah Jonah
January 10, 2026
The Syrian army has intensified military operations in the northern city of Aleppo, escalating clashes with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters and forcing more than 160,000 civilians to flee their homes.
Fighting has centred on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods, long controlled by Kurdish forces, after an attempted ceasefire collapsed. Aleppo’s emergency chief, Mohammed al-Rajab, said at least 162,000 people have been displaced as violence spreads through densely populated districts.
A Syrian military source said government forces were making progress in Sheikh Maqsoud and now control about 55 percent of the area. State-run media reported that several SDF members had been arrested during operations launched after a deadline for Kurdish fighters to withdraw expired.
The Ministry of Defence said the ceasefire was declared following three days of clashes triggered by the failure to implement a long-standing agreement aimed at integrating the SDF into Syria’s state and military institutions. Under that deal, Kurdish forces were expected to come under central government control by the end of 2025.
Damascus later gave SDF fighters a six-hour ultimatum to withdraw from Aleppo, but Kurdish councils governing Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh rejected what they described as a demand for surrender, vowing to defend the areas they have administered since the early stages of Syria’s war.
Following the rejection, the army warned it would resume strikes and urged civilians to evacuate through designated humanitarian corridors. Shortly after, shelling and air attacks resumed.
The SDF accused government-aligned forces of striking Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, describing the attack as a war crime. The Defence Ministry countered that the facility was being used as a weapons depot. Both sides traded accusations as fighting continued.
The Syrian army said three of its soldiers were killed and 12 wounded in SDF attacks, while also alleging that Kurdish fighters killed civilians who refused to join them, claims the SDF dismissed as disinformation.
Local health authorities said at least 22 people have been killed and 173 wounded since clashes began, marking the worst violence in Aleppo since Syria’s new authorities took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad a year ago.
The fighting has exposed deep mistrust between Damascus and Kurdish forces, who retain control over large parts of northeastern Syria. Analysts say disagreements over how SDF fighters would be integrated into the national army remain a major obstacle.
Regionally, Turkiye has voiced support for the Syrian government’s actions, viewing the SDF as linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). President Ahmed al-Sharaa also held talks with Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish leaders amid growing international concern.
The United Nations said it was gravely alarmed by the violence and urged all sides to protect civilians and return to negotiations. France and the United States have also called for restraint, warning that continued fighting risks further destabilizing an already fragile post-war Syria.
