Civilians flee Aleppo’s Kurdish areas after army declares zones closed
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Civilians fled on Wednesday Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo after the Syrian army declared “closed military zones,” amid the deadliest clashes in the city in years between government forces and Kurdish-led fighters.
In a statement, the army said the two neighborhoods would be considered closed military zones after 3:00 p.m., announcing the opening of two “safe humanitarian crossings” to allow civilians to leave.
It also declared all Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) military positions in the areas “legitimate military targets.”
The clashes, which erupted on Tuesday, represent the most serious fighting between the two sides since talks stalled over the implementation of the March 10 agreement on integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s new Islamist-led government, as well as the April 1 agreement providing for the SDF’s withdrawal while Internal Security Forces (Asayish) remain at checkpoints in coordination with the Ministry of Interior to prevent interference by external armed groups.
Ilham Ahmad, Co-Chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), accused Damascus of launching a “genocidal war” against the Kurds and urged the Syrian government to pursue dialogue and “the path of reason” to resolve the crisis.
The violence has disrupted daily life across Aleppo, forcing the suspension of flights to and from Aleppo International Airport, while schools, universities, and government offices were shut down due to the deteriorating security situation.