Fighting continues for third days as thousands more Syrians flee Kurdish areas

The Syrian army launched new strikes in parts of Aleppo on Thursday after ordering residents to evacuate, accusing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of ‍using Kurdish-majority areas ‌to launch attacks as clashes entered a third day.

The army released more than ⁠seven maps identifying areas it said would ‍be targeted in strikes, urging residents to leave immediately for their safety. Its operations command announced a curfew in the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh from 3pm (1200 GMT).

The fighting, which erupted on Tuesday, has driven thousands of civilians ‍from their homes and killed and wounded several people.

"Today, up to this moment, almost 13,500 people left. Most of ‍the cases we saw were of women, children and people with special needs, and some patients were evacuated to the hospital and some were given medical care in ambulances," said Faisal Ali, head of operations for the Syrian civil defence forces in Aleppo.

Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes in Aleppo. Reuters

The SDF said their fighters were engaged in intense clashes with Damascus-aligned factions and auxiliaries near Aleppo's Syriac neighbourhood, adding that they had inflicted what they described as heavy losses.

The violence and competing claims ‌over responsibility highlight a deepening and increasingly deadly standoff between Damascus and Kurdish authorities who have resisted ‍integrating into the central government.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said he was deeply concerned by attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo, warning that targeting civilians and attempts to alter the area's demography amounted to ​what he described as ethnic cleansing.

Syrian Kurds holding up a placard that reads, 'With blood and tears, we are devoted to the honour of Seyyid Maqsud' demonstrate in solidarity with their fellow Kurds. AFP

Barzani called on all sides to exercise restraint, protect civilians and pursue dialogue.

The SDF accused Damascus-aligned factions of threatening unlawful attacks on civilian areas, saying public warnings of shelling could amount to forced displacement and war crimes under ​international humanitarian ‍law.

More residents were seen leaving Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh through designated safe corridors.

Residents flee from the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh in the city of Aleppo. AFP

The SDF are a US-backed alliance ‌that controls much of northeastern Syria and has been Washington's main local partner in the fight against Islamic State.

Kurdish-led authorities established a semi-autonomous administration in those areas and parts of Aleppo during Syria's 14-year war and have resisted fully integrating into the Islamist-led ​government that took ‌power after former president Bashar Al Assad was ousted in late 2024.

Damascus reached a deal with the SDF last year that envisaged full integration by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited, with both sides accusing the other of stalling.

The United States has sought to mediate, holding meetings as recently as Sunday, though those talks ‌ended without tangible results.

Diplomats warn that failure to integrate the SDF into Syria's army risks further violence and could draw in Turkey, which has threatened military action against Kurdish fighters it regards as terrorists.

A Syrian soldier carries a child as residents flee from the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh in the city of Aleppo. AFP

A US State Department official said in a statement on Thursday that the US "is closely monitoring the situation" and urged "restraint on all sides." It said US envoy Tom Barrack is trying to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.

"All parties should focus on how to build a peaceful, stable Syria that protects and serves the interests of all Syrians, rather than pushing the country back into a cycle of violence," the statement said.

The European Union (EU) on Thursday voiced "great concern" over deadly violence in Aleppo.

"We call on all sides to exercise restraint, protect civilians and seek a peaceful and diplomatic solution," said EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni. EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are set for a visit to Damascus for talks with the country's leadership.

Turkey said on Thursday it is ready to help Syria if asked after the Syrian army independently ‍launched what it called a "counter-terrorism" operation in Aleppo.

Turkey's Ministry of National Defence said that the "operation is being carried out entirely by the Syrian Army" while Turkey is "closely monitoring."

"Syria's security is our security," the statement said, adding that "Turkey will provide the necessary support should Syria request it."

The United Nations has expressed concern at the violence. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters Wednesday that Secretary General Antonio Guterres "is alarmed by reports of civilian deaths and injuries following hostilities in Aleppo."

"We call on all actors to immediately de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint, and take all measures to prevent further harm to civilians" and to "promptly resume negotiations in order to fully implement the 10 March agreement," he said.

Agencies