Syrian army orders Aleppo evacuations amid fighting with Kurdish forces

"The Syrian army ordered civilians to evacuate neighbourhoods of Aleppo on Thursday after fighting with Kurdish forces entered its third day, deepening the rift between the Syrian government and the US-backed Kurdish authorities in Syria. The Syrian government urged people to leave the three contested neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid by early afternoon, opening humanitarian corridors and displacement shelters to facilitate their exit."

"Shortly after the deadline expired at 1.30pm local time (1030 GMT) the Syrian government began shelling, with the SDF firing as well. The clashes are the most intense fighting in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, and sparked fears of a broader conflict between the Syrian government and the well-armed Kurdish authorities who control much of north-east Syria nearly a third of Syrian territory."

"Despite an agreement for the SDF to merge into the Syrian army by the start of 2025, clashes have continued to erupt between it and the government. This week's three days of fighting is the longest open conflict between the two sides since the agreement was signed in March 2025. A member of the White Helmets, a volunteer civil defence group, helps people flee in Aleppo."

The Syrian army ordered civilians to evacuate Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid and opened humanitarian corridors and displacement shelters ahead of planned operations. Maps identified specific areas to be cleared before a 1.30pm local deadline. Shortly after the deadline expired, the Syrian government began shelling and the SDF returned fire, producing the most intense fighting since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. About 140,000 civilians were displaced. At least eight civilians were killed in Kurdish-majority areas, seven civilians and one soldier in government-controlled areas, with dozens wounded. An agreement envisaged SDF merger into the Syrian army by early 2025, but clashes have continued and this three-day fight is the longest since the March 2025 agreement.

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