Syrian army renews Aleppo strikes as Kurdish fighters refuse to budge

"After some of the fiercest fighting seen since last year's toppling of Bashar al-Assad, Damascus presented Kurdish fighters a six-hour window to withdraw to their semi-autonomous region in the northeast of the country in a bid to end their longstanding control over parts of Aleppo. But Kurdish councils that run the city's Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts rejected any surrender and pledged to defend areas that they have run since the early days of the Syria's war, which erupted in 2011."

"Syria's army then warned it would renew strikes on Sheikh Maqsoud and urged residents to evacuate through a humanitarian corridor, publishing five maps highlighting targets, with strikes beginning roughly two hours later. As violence flared, the SDF posted footage on X showing what it said was the aftermath of artillery and drone attacks on Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, accusing factions and militias affiliated with the Damascus government of a clear war crime."

Syrian army forces began a military operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood of Aleppo after a deadline for Kurdish fighters to evacuate under a temporary ceasefire expired. The Defence Ministry had declared the ceasefire following three days of clashes after the central government and the Kurdish-led SDF failed to integrate the SDF into state forces. Damascus gave Kurdish fighters a six-hour window to withdraw to the northeast to end their control of parts of Aleppo, but local Kurdish councils rejected surrender and vowed to defend their districts. The army warned of renewed strikes, issued evacuation maps and corridors, and strikes commenced roughly two hours later. The SDF posted footage alleging artillery and drone attacks on Khaled Fajr Hospital while the Defence Ministry claimed the hospital was a weapons depot, and civilians fled amid the violence.

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