Security tensions rise in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Hevin Suleiman, co-chair of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhood councils, revealed on Monday evening in an exclusive statement to North Press recent security developments and rising tensions in the two predominantly Kurdish districts of Aleppo.
Speaking via phone to our correspondent in the city, Suleiman stated that “forces of the Syrian transitional government have closed seven entrances leading to Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods.”
She added that members of the Syrian government forces and their checkpoints are now preventing residents from entering or returning to these neighborhoods.
Suleiman also noted “a significant deployment of personnel affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense at the outskirts and entrances of the two districts.” She stressed that despite contacting the Relations Committee of the Syrian Transitional Government in Aleppo by phone to inquire about the situation, “there has been no response or acknowledgment to our inquiries.”
Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, controlled and administered by local councils affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), have been recognized as relatively stable areas in Aleppo. However, the recent security measures have heightened concerns among residents about movement restrictions and possible escalation.