Kurdistan24 Exclusive: Syrian Monitor Chief Exposes 'Hidden Forces' Ruling Syria & Fueling Clashes in Aleppo's Kurdish Neighborhoods

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Two days after renewed fighting erupted in Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has revealed what he described as the hidden dynamics behind the latest confrontation, accusing armed groups operating under government structures of fueling violence and spreading disinformation.

In an interview with Kurdistan24, Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said the attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods were carried out by what he described as “racist, sectarian armed groups loyal to Turkey,” dismissing official narratives presented by Syrian authorities and echoed by some Arab media outlets.

“Unfortunately, some Arab satellite channels repeat the official version because their correspondents support the authority of Ahmad al-Sharaa,” Abdulrahman said. “But what happened was documented by sound and image.”

He said that armed groups integrated into government forces fired an RPG toward Internal Security Forces at the Sheikh Han roundabout, after which gunfire followed. Abdulrahman said official media and pro-government commentators later claimed that Internal Security Forces were responsible for the attack.

“They believe that what they write in secret cannot be documented as information,” he said.

Abdulrahman expressed shock at media claims alleging the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and affiliated groups in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, which were under siege at the time. “I am truly stunned,” he said. “Is this how they intend to build a state through sectarian and racist rhetoric?”

He criticized statements made by the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson, Nour al-Din al-Baba, accusing him of promoting hostile rhetoric against Kurds. Abdulrahman said al-Baba falsely claimed that SDF-affiliated forces had carried out attacks, despite their absence from Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh.

“When you say ‘SDF militias,’ you are labeling them as gangs,” Abdulrahman said. “Yet these same forces signed the March 10 agreement with your president, Ahmad al-Sharaa.”

Abdulrahman argued that responsibilities were being deliberately divided. “They instruct one group to attack Sheikh Maqsood, then tell the SDF they have nothing to do with it and that it was an individual act,” he said, questioning whether such forces should be considered part of the government or removed if they operate against official directives.

He also criticized what he described as persistent disinformation, saying, “April Fool’s Day comes once a year. The Turkish media spreads falsehoods daily, alongside media loyal to the authority.”

Abdulrahman said the pressure campaign was aimed not at the SDF leadership, which he said recognizes the falsehoods, but at the Kurdish population and Arab supporters of the SDF.

He stressed that SDF forces were not present in Sheikh Maqsood, noting that Kurdish People’s Protection Units had withdrawn months earlier under an agreement between Damascus and Kurdish forces.

“These people under siege in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh are civilians,” he said. “Even if you differ with them ethnically or ideologically, they are human beings.”

Abdulrahman recalled earlier attacks on the same neighborhoods, including shelling in March 2015 using gas canisters, which he said killed sixteen people, including nine women. He described the hostility toward Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh as longstanding.

Turning to negotiations, Abdulrahman said proposals currently under discussion remain stalled due to resistance from the Shura Council of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which he described as the real decision-maker in Syria. According to Abdulrahman, the council has so far rejected the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces as a unified bloc within the Syrian army.

He said the proposal includes forming a northeastern corps within the army, three brigades for Internal Security Forces and Women’s Protection Units, an anti-terrorism brigade operating east of the Euphrates, and another working alongside the international coalition. Under the proposal, SDF leadership would constitute between twenty-five and thirty percent of the General Staff and Interior Ministry leadership.

“The council fears that if the SDF joins as a single bloc, and if Ahmad al-Sharaa fails to confront extremist organizations, a military council could replace him during a transitional phase,” Abdulrahman said.

He said approval of US-backed proposals could come within seventy-two hours, potentially paving the way for an agreement on unified military integration rather than fragmented incorporation.

Abdulrahman added that decentralization and resource-sharing remain core conditions, alongside negotiations on constitutional recognition of Kurds as a fundamental component of Syria. “Without that,” he said, “we are only wasting time.”

He also criticized media figures close to the Syrian leadership, accusing them of promoting sectarian rhetoric and incitement against the SDF, saying that no clear vision has yet emerged from Damascus regarding a genuine agreement.

The interview comes after renewed clashes erupted in Aleppo following the collapse of a fragile truce between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Army. Fighting broke out around strategic checkpoints, including the Sheikh Maqsood roundabout, amid mutual accusations of ceasefire violations involving RPG attacks, sniper fire, drones, and road closures.

According to the Internal Security Forces, also known as the Asayish, one of their checkpoints near Sheikh Maqsood was targeted by two RPG shells fired by groups affiliated with the Damascus government. The forces said they responded in a limited manner to defend their positions while attempting to prevent escalation, stressing continued commitment to restraint and ongoing high-level contacts to restore calm.

Syrian state media offered conflicting accounts, with SANA reporting that customs police were wounded on the Aleppo–Raqqa road by unknown attackers, while state television accused SDF-affiliated snipers of wounding a government security member at the Shihan checkpoint.

The violence extended beyond Aleppo, with Syrian forces intercepting drones near the Tishrin Dam in eastern Aleppo countryside. Damascus described the drone activity as a violation of the March 10 agreement, highlighting the fragility of the ceasefire reached earlier under US diplomatic pressure after a week of clashes that resulted in civilian casualties.