SDF Chief says Aleppo attacks aim to expel Kurdish residents
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), General Mazloum Abdi, said on Thursday that the Syrian government’s declaration of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo as a military zone, along with continued indiscriminate shelling, amounts to a systematic campaign of forced displacement against Kurdish residents. He described the actions as a crime that could constitute a war crime.
Since Tuesday, Aleppo neighborhoods have witnessed heavy clashes between Syrian government forces and the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), resulting in more than 100 casualties, most of them civilians.
In remarks to Hawar News Agency, which is close to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), Abdi stressed that “the attempt to displace residents is unacceptable and rejected in every form.”
He explained that since the beginning of the attacks, the SDF has sought possible solutions to halt the violence, either through its own initiatives or through de-escalation proposals presented by guarantor states in Syria. “However, representatives of the Syrian government remain obstinate and continue to reject all proposed initiatives without justification,” Abdi said.
The SDF commander warned that the government’s reliance on military force risks dragging Syria back into a cycle of violence and killing, disregarding previous agreements. He cited accords signed on March 10 and April 1 of last year between the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods and government representatives, which he said are now being ignored.
Abdi emphasized that dialogue and the exchange of views are the only viable path to resolving disputes. He reiterated the importance of dialogue as a principle for addressing challenges and expressed readiness to take all necessary steps to return to negotiations. “We are fully prepared to do whatever is required to end the cycle of killing and ensure it does not return,” he concluded.