Syrian forces seize two Aleppo neighborhoods after clashes with Kurdish-led S.D.F.

The Syrian military took control of two neighborhoods in Aleppo formerly held by a Kurdish-led militia on Sunday after days of clashes, state media and officials said. Shortly after midnight, fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F., left Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh on buses and were taken to another city in northern Syria, according to Syrian state media, which said their weapons would be confiscated.

The S.D.F. called the move a "partial cease-fire" aimed at preventing more deaths and ensuring the safe evacuation of civilians and the wounded; the retreat was described as a victory for government forces and brought calm to the city after days of violence. At least 24 civilians were killed in five days of fighting and more than 120 were injured, the Aleppo health directorate said; that figure does not include those killed in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh, where some of the most intense clashes took place.

Thousands of civilians fled those neighborhoods on foot and found shelter in mosques, churches and private homes, officials and residents said, and the clashes forced the closure of schools, government buildings and the city’s airport. The fighting was the most intense in Aleppo since the end of the civil war in December 2024, when Islamist-led rebel groups ousted the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The clashes followed months of negotiations to integrate S.D.F.

Key Topics

World, Syrian Military, Syrian Democratic Forces, Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsood, Ashrafiyeh