The Syrian Army has formally launched a military operation against SDF-held pockets inside Aleppo, declaring all positions of the Kurdish-led force in Sheikh Maqsoud and Al‑Ashrafiyah “legitimate military targets.”
The Operations Command accused the SDF of escalating attacks and killing civilians in nearby government‑held neighborhoods, vowing to respond with force to drone and artillery strikes blamed on Kurdish fighters.
Heavy clashes erupted around frontlines on the city’s northern edge, with tanks, artillery and rockets reported near the contested districts after days of sporadic exchanges.
Local authorities suspended schools, universities and some government departments as shells fell close to hospitals and service buildings, while residents reported fresh waves of displacement from streets closest to SDF positions.
The escalation comes amid months of on‑off skirmishes between Damascus and the SDF across Aleppo governorate, raising fears of a wider confrontation that could escalate into a new battle for Syria’s north.
