AANES and Syria's Druze slam Aleppo's violence: Minority under threat

Shafaq News- Damascus

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and Druze Spiritual Leader in Syria Sheikh Hikmat Salman Al-Hijri condemned on Friday the recent fighting in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, describing the clashes as violations of international law that could amount to war crimes.

Confrontations 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 from both sides, with each side blaming the other for initiating the violence.

In a statement, AANES criticized the international community and the guarantor powers of the March 10 and April 1 agreements for their silence, arguing that it encourages further breaches. The administration also commended local residents and internal security forces for defending their neighborhoods, framing these actions as legitimate self-defense.

In turn, Al-Hijri described the assaults as deliberate attacks on safe communities and called on the international community to intervene to prevent additional violations targeting minorities.

Framing the violence as part of efforts to alter the demographic makeup of the neighborhoods, he reaffirmed his support for the Kurdish population in safeguarding their historical, geographic, and human rights.

Earlier today, the Syrian government and SDF reached an agreement under US sponsorship to withdraw the SDF-backed Kurdish Interior Security Forces (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