Kurdish Internal Security Forces Reject Damascus Claims Over Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsud Control
Aleppo’s Internal Security Forces rejected Damascus claims of controlling most of Sheikh Maqsud, saying clashes and heavy shelling continue, as the Syrian Democratic Council accused government forces of violating the ceasefire and targeting civilians.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Internal Security Forces in Aleppo have categorically denied claims circulated by what they described as the so-called Ministry of Defense in Damascus alleging control over ninety percent of Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood, calling the assertions false and misleading.
In an update issued by the Aleppo Internal Security Forces Media Center, the statement said the claims bear no relation to realities on the ground and were presented as part of what it described as a failed attempt to obscure serious crimes and grave violations committed by militias affiliated with the Damascus government against civilians.
According to the statement, Sheikh Maqsud is witnessing intense street-level clashes with Damascus government militias, during which significant losses have been inflicted on their ranks.
The media center said that, in parallel with the clashes, artillery and tank shelling continues to target the neighborhood. It described the bombardment as systematic, aimed at spreading fear among residents and destroying infrastructure, including hospitals, in what it said constitutes a blatant violation of international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The developments come as the Syrian Democratic Council (MSDC) accused the Syrian government of violating the Aleppo ceasefire. The council stated that the Syrian Arab Army breached the truce in the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods and continued shelling civilian areas with heavy weapons.
Hassan Mohammad Ali, co-head of MSDC’s Public Relations Office, said Syrian government forces were not adhering to the ceasefire agreement. He also reported that Khaled Fajr Hospital was hit by tank and missile shelling, causing it to collapse over wounded civilians.
According to MSDC, the attacks during the ceasefire resulted in civilian deaths, including two doctors and five youths from Ashrafiyeh.
The MSDC official said the council is maintaining continuous communication with the United States and France to generate international pressure aimed at immediately halting the fighting and guaranteeing the ceasefire. He added that the efforts are intended to launch dialogue to determine a special administrative framework for Aleppo neighborhoods where the majority of residents are Kurdish.
As conflicting claims persist over control and ceasefire adherence, continued fighting and shelling in Sheikh Maqsud underscore the fragility of current arrangements and the mounting risks faced by civilians in Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods.