SDF Accuses Damascus Government Factions of Using Civilians as Human Shields in Aleppo
In a statement, the SDF said the factions have imposed a tight siege on the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood, surrounding it with tanks and subjecting it to heavy shelling.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Internal Security Forces on Wednesday accused Damascus government factions of using kidnapped youths and civilians as human shields during ongoing attacks on the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo, describing the actions as serious violations of human rights.
In a statement, the SDF said the factions have imposed a tight siege on the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood, surrounding it with tanks and subjecting it to heavy shelling. The statement warned that attacking forces have threatened to fully occupy the area and forcibly evacuate residents.
According to the SDF Internal Security Forces, the escalation followed the failure of earlier attacks to subdue neighborhoods or break the will of their residents. The statement alleged that armed factions have kidnapped youths who attempted to flee the besieged areas and are using them as human shields on the front lines, calling the practice a blatant breach of international humanitarian law.
The SDF also claimed that elderly civilians who had previously left the area were returning to the besieged neighborhoods, raising concerns they may be used as leverage against the remaining civilian population.
Condemning the actions, the Internal Security Forces described the situation as a dangerous escalation combining siege tactics, indiscriminate shelling, and the exploitation of civilians, warning that the measures appear aimed at forcibly displacing residents and inflicting suffering on innocent civilians.
The accusations come amid an ongoing attack launched by Damascus government factions and affiliated armed groups on the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo, according to local security officials and reporting by Kurdistan24.
Farhad Shami said that “aggressors from Damascus government factions are launching an attack with heavy weapons on the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods,” adding that the SDF Internal Security Forces are engaged in “fierce resistance” to repel the assault and protect residents. His remarks were carried by the Internal Security Forces’ Aleppo Media Center.
A Kurdistan24 reporter in Syria said the assault began early Wednesday morning, with Damascus-affiliated factions attacking both neighborhoods simultaneously. Since the early hours of the day, thousands of Kurdish residents have reportedly been displaced due to what was described as indiscriminate bombardment.
Additional reports from Arab media outlets said that, alongside Damascus government factions, the Hamshat and Hamzat armed groups carried out attacks on the town center of Deir Hafir using explosive drones. Artillery, mortars, and other heavy weapons were also reported to have been used against Kurdish-inhabited areas in central Aleppo.
The SDF Internal Security Forces in Aleppo said their units continue to confront the attacks in an effort to defend the neighborhoods and their residents.
There was no immediate response from Syrian government authorities regarding the allegations or the reported displacement. Information about the scope and duration of the fighting, as well as the humanitarian impact, remains limited, and independent verification of some claims was not immediately possible.