Syria’s government has secured full control of Aleppo following intense clashes in the city’s Kurdish neighborhoods, resulting in evacuations of Kurdish fighters to autonomous areas. The fighting, which escalated this week amid stalled negotiations between the government and Kurdish authorities, has left significant damage in residential areas.
Residents of Ashrafiyeh, the first neighborhood to fall under the Syrian army’s control, returned to find severe destruction, with shrapnel and broken glass scattered throughout the streets. Many expressed shock and dismay at the state of their homes.
A Syrian security official reported that 419 Kurdish fighters, including 59 who were wounded, were evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood and transferred to Kurdish zones in the northeast. Upon arrival, they were greeted with emotional scenes, as crowds expressed solidarity and vows of retribution against the government forces.
A Kurdish leader, Mazlum Abdi, stated that the evacuations were facilitated by international mediators aiming to halt violence against the Kurdish population in Aleppo. Reports from a monitoring group indicated that approximately 300 young Kurds had been arrested, with claims that they were civilians rather than combatants.
Amid the destruction, residents returning to Ashrafiyeh recounted experiences of fleeing for safety. Yahya al-Sufi, a local clothing merchant, described returning to find his home looted and walls damaged. His sentiments echoed those of other community members who hoped for peaceful resolutions between the government of Damascus and the Kurdish factions, lamenting the ongoing violence.
Despite some neighborhoods being reopened, Sheikh Maqsud remains off-limits, with security forces keeping residents away. Reports from the ground described the aftermath of conflict, including damaged military vehicles and the discovery of landmines, as authorities conducted operations in the area.
The conflict has resulted in a reported death toll of 24 individuals, alongside many injuries, while other monitoring organizations reported higher casualty figures among both civilians and combatants. Allegations of severe human rights violations, including field executions, have also surfaced but remain unverified.
In a bid to ease tensions, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack held discussions with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, advocating for a “return to dialogue” with Kurdish leaders in line with a previous integration agreement from last year, which had not been effectively enacted.
Abdi has called on international mediators to uphold their commitments to prevent ongoing violations. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) currently control significant territories in northern and northeastern Syria, areas they secured during the civil war and in the fight against ISIS. However, their relationship with the Syrian government remains fraught due to differing views on governance and territorial control.
This recent violence in Aleppo recalls earlier chapters of Syria’s civil war, where the city was divided between rebel and government control until Assad’s forces regained full dominance in 2016, leading to mass evacuations. The situation continues to evolve, leaving many in uncertainty regarding their safety and the future of governance in the region.
