Two killed in Kurdish forces shelling in Aleppo, northern Syria

SadaNews - A member of the Syrian internal security forces and at least one civilian were killed in Aleppo on Monday night, due to shelling carried out by Kurdish forces amid renewed tensions between them and Damascus, according to state television.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicated a "serious military escalation in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh," which are predominantly Kurdish areas in the country’s economic capital.

The observatory explained that forces affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense "carried out shelling with heavy and medium machine guns on various areas of the neighborhoods," and also used "suicidal drones to target positions deep in Sheikh Maqsoud, causing significant material damage."

Since opposition factions ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Aleppo has been under the control of forces loyal to the new authorities in Damascus.

However, the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods are controlled by local Kurdish units linked to the "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) and their internal security forces (Asayish), despite the fact that the SDF officially withdrew from these neighborhoods last April as part of an agreement reached with Damascus.

Syrian news reported a "martyr and 3 injuries from the internal security forces during SDF’s targeting of security barriers around Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo."

The state television channel also announced the death of a civilian in Kurdish shelling, noting the "displacement of dozens of families from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo due to the SDF targeting of the area with heavy machine guns and mortars."

For its part, the official Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported that "a number of civilian injuries" occurred due to SDF shelling of residential neighborhoods in the vicinity of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo with mortars and heavy machine guns.

According to SANA, the SDF targeted "residential areas in the neighborhoods of Al-Midan and Bustan al-Basha in Aleppo with mortars."

On Facebook, Aleppo Governor Azzam Al-Ghareeb urged residents "to stay home tonight and avoid areas of clashes as much as possible," adding that "we are working with the concerned parties for a ceasefire and to stop the clashes."

In response, the SDF denied launching any attack on government security forces, indicating that "what is happening in Aleppo is a direct result of provocations by the interim government factions and their attempts to advance with tanks."

The SDF denied the presence of its forces in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, affirming that "the locals are defending themselves alongside the internal security forces in the neighborhoods, which are fulfilling their duty to protect civilians and maintain security and stability."

For its part, the Asayish confirmed in a statement that they "repelled an attack today carried out by forces affiliated with the interim government on several fronts in the vicinity of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo."

The SDF is the military arm of the Kurdish administration that controls areas in northern and northeastern Syria.

In March, the new authorities and the SDF signed an agreement to integrate the civil and military institutions of the Kurdish self-administration into national institutions. However, significant disputes between the two parties delayed the implementation of this agreement.