Shafaq News– Damascus

Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) on Sunday said that armed groups linked to Syria’s government, supported by Turkish reconnaissance aircraft, launched a large-scale assault on Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, resulting in deaths among civilians and fighters.

In a statement, the Asayish detailed that the assaults began on Jan. 6, 2026, with tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles heavily deployed, alongside thousands of fighters taking part in the offensive.

Describing the attacks as aimed at subduing residents, altering the neighborhoods’ demographic composition, and undermining local dignity, the group vowed continued resistance in defense of the Kurdish population.

Clashes between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) left more than 10 civilians dead and around 100 others injured, along with at least 20 casualties among fighters on both sides. Each side accused the other of triggering the violence. The fighting also displaced over 150,000 residents.

Earlier this week, the Syrian government and the SDF reached an agreement under US sponsorship for the withdrawal of the SDF-backed Asayish from predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo to areas in northeastern Syria.

Read more: March 10 Syria–SDF Pact tested as unwritten timeline nears end-2025