Kurdish-Held Aleppo Neighborhoods Hit by Fierce Attacks Amid Deepening Siege

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A sharp escalation around Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood triggered a wave of conflicting statements from Internal Security Forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Syrian government institutions, after multiple attacks left civilians and fighters dead or wounded and caused damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

The Kurdish Internal Security Forces in Aleppo (Asayish) said Sheikh Maqsoud was targeted four times within twenty-four hours by armed factions affiliated with the Syrian interim Ministry of Defense. In a statement, the force said the attacks resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to two others, in addition to “significant damage to property.”

The Asayish said it responded “within the framework of legitimate self-defense,” targeting two positions belonging to the attacking factions. It described the incident as a “new breach of the truce” and an ongoing violation of previous agreements aimed at protecting civilians and ensuring security. The force stressed that its responses would remain “within the framework of law and the legitimate defense of civilians’ lives and property,” calling on all parties to respect civilian rights and avoid targeting residential areas.

Shortly after, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing the Ministry of Interior, reported that one member of the Syrian Arab Army was killed and others wounded after the SDF targeted army positions around Sheikh Maqsoud using drones. In a separate dispatch, SANA said that in another incident, three civilians, including two women, were killed in what it described as SDF shelling of residential buildings in Aleppo’s al-Midan neighborhood.

SANA also reported that the Directorate of Information in Aleppo said the SDF targeted the area near Sheihan Roundabout, killing one member of the Ministry of Defense and wounding three others, calling it a new violation of agreements signed with the Syrian government.

In parallel developments the SDF, through its media center, issued an update stating that factions known as “al-Amshat,” affiliated with the Damascus government- forces that are under US, European and British sanctions list-, were shelling the densely populated center of Deir Hafir district with mortars, heavy weapons, and so-called suicide drones, causing damage to electricity networks. The statement added that the same factions were simultaneously targeting Tal Saryatel near Tishrin Dam with similar weapons.

The SDF described the attacks as a “planned escalation” and reaffirmed what it called its “legitimate right to respond” in defense of the population and to preserve security and stability in its areas. In a subsequent update, the SDF said a shell fired by factions affiliated with the Damascus government veered off course while allegedly targeting Sheikh Maqsoud and landed in the adjacent al-Midan neighborhood, describing it as indiscriminate shelling that endangered civilian lives and constituted a direct attack on residential areas.

The SDF said it held the responsible party fully accountable for any resulting damage or consequences, accusing it of showing “complete disregard for humanitarian law.”

The SDF also confirmed that two children were injured as a result of what it described as indiscriminate shelling by factions affiliated with the Damascus government that struck residential neighborhoods in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.

In a further statement, the SDF condemned what it said were images released by factions aligned with the Syrian government showing the use of heavy artillery to shell the densely populated neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, calling the attacks a “hostile assault” that threatens civilians and constitutes a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

The exchange of fire comes amid what the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) describes as an imposed siege on Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh.

In an interview with Kurdistan24, Mohammad Amin, an official in the Relations Office of the SDC, said humanitarian and living conditions have sharply deteriorated following recent military escalation, the latest occurring on Dec. 22. He described the situation as “very difficult” and said residents are facing worsening living conditions under what he called a documented siege enforced by factions nominally affiliated with the Ministry of Defense.

Amin confirmed severe shortages of basic materials, including flour and yeast, noting that many of the thirteen bakeries in the two neighborhoods have stopped operating due to depleted supplies. He said fuel is barred from entry, including small personal quantities, severely affecting daily life during winter.

He said armed factions surrounding Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh are preventing the entry of essential goods, while vehicles are allowed to pass only through the al-Awarid checkpoint, causing heavy congestion as other crossings remain closed.

Amin also reported daily harassment at checkpoints, including phone inspections, searches, and the detention of young men. He said school closures have left more than 25,000 students without education, while hospitals face shortages of fuel, oxygen, medicines, and emergency supplies. Electricity, he added, has been completely cut for more than 28 days.

According to Amin, more than half a million Syrian citizens live in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, where gas cylinders and construction materials remain banned from entry, deepening civilian hardship.

All statements were issued amid heightened tensions around Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, with both sides accusing the other of violating existing agreements and endangering civilians through military operations in densely populated areas.

As competing narratives multiply and casualties mount, the exchange of fire and statements underscores the fragility of existing arrangements around Aleppo’s contested neighborhoods, leaving Kurdish civilians caught between accusations, retaliatory strikes, and an increasingly volatile security environment.