Kurdish-led SDF denies Aleppo troop buildup

Shafaq News– Damascus (Updated on January 12 at 1:30)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday rejected what they described as “misleading allegations” by Syria’s Defense Ministry that the group was conducting military movements near the Deir Hafir front east of Aleppo.

In a statement, the SDF insisted that there were no unusual deployments in the area, adding that images circulating online showed civilians from north and east Syria gathering to receive wounded people evacuated from clashes in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts.

The area has instead seen intensified Turkish drone activity, including Bayraktar and Akinci unmanned aircraft, alongside suicide drone attacks and artillery fire targeting the city, the group noted. Its affiliated Internal Security Forces (Asayish) earlier accused armed groups aligned with Damascus, backed by Turkish reconnaissance aircraft, of launching a large-scale assault on the neighborhoods.

Fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led units in Aleppo has killed more than 10 civilians and wounded around 100 others, with at least 20 casualties among fighters on both sides, according to local media. Each side has blamed the other for igniting the violence, which has displaced more than 150,000 residents.

Meanwhile, the Asayish announced today that senior commander Ziyad Halab was killed during the clashes, describing him as a leading figure who played a central role in directing combat operations and security decisions in the neighborhoods.

The clashes came despite a US-sponsored agreement reached earlier this week under which Asayish forces were to withdraw from the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods to areas in northeastern Syria.

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