On Friday, the Syrian army announced the start of a military operation to clear the Sheikh Maqsoud district in Aleppo. This happened after the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) rejected an ultimatum from President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government for the complete evacuation of fighters to the northeast of the country. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The Syrian Ministry of Defense set a deadline for the withdrawal of troops — by 9:00 AM on Friday, promising to provide buses for transporting the fighters. However, the Kurdish councils of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts called the government's demand a "call for surrender" and declared their intention to defend their territories. Immediately after the ultimatum expired, the army resumed intense shelling and launched a ground assault.
Due to the escalation, over 140,000 civilians have fled their homes, most of them heading to the Afrin district. According to official data, at least nine civilians have died and over 50 have been injured. The military declared Sheikh Maqsoud a "closed military zone" and imposed a full curfew.
Fighting and Accusations
The Syrian army has already announced that it has established control over the neighboring districts of Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid. SDF representatives accused government forces of war crimes, including strikes on the "Osman" hospital. The Syrian Ministry of Defense denied this information, claiming that the facility was used as a weapons depot.
We will defend our districts, despite calls for surrender coming from the central government
The army command emphasizes that the goal of the operation is the complete subordination of the city to state institutions in accordance with the integration agreements reached earlier. Currently, Sheikh Maqsoud remains the last large enclave of Aleppo not under full government control.