The Syrian army has ordered civilians to evacuate several neighbourhoods in the northern city of Aleppo, as intense fighting with US-backed Kurdish forces entered a third day, sparking fears of a broader conflict.
Evacuation Order and Shelling
On Thursday, the Syrian government urged residents to leave the contested districts of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zeid by early afternoon. It established humanitarian corridors and opened displacement shelters to facilitate the exodus. The army warned it would commence military operations against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after the 1:30 PM local time deadline passed, issuing maps of specific areas to be cleared.
Shortly after the deadline expired, shelling began, with both government forces and the SDF exchanging fire. This marks the most severe fighting in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
Mounting Humanitarian Toll and Displacement
The violence has already exacted a heavy humanitarian price. According to Aleppo's directorate of social affairs and labour, approximately 140,000 civilians have been displaced since the clashes erupted on Tuesday. The casualty figures are grim, with at least eight civilians killed in the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods and seven civilians plus one soldier killed in government-controlled zones. Dozens more are wounded on both sides.
Many of those fleeing have travelled to other Syrian provinces, while others, lacking the means to move further, have sought refuge in nearby mosques and churches.
Roots of the Conflict and Stalled Agreements
The clashes underscore the deep and unresolved rift between Damascus and the Kurdish authorities, who control nearly a third of Syrian territory in the north-east. Despite a 10 March 2025 agreement for the SDF to integrate into the new Syrian army, implementation has stalled over disagreements about the nature of that merger.
The SDF, a key US partner in the fight against Islamic State, seeks autonomy under the central government. Its resolve to retain its weapons has hardened following reported massacres and human rights violations by some government-backed forces on the coast and in Druze areas. A meeting on Sunday aimed at progressing the integration deal yielded no breakthrough.
Both sides have traded accusations of atrocities. The government claims the SDF used civilians as human shields, while the SDF has released videos purporting to show government forces shelling a hospital and residential areas in Sheikh Maqsoud.
Regional Reactions and International Appeals
The fighting has inflamed tensions across the region. In Qamishli, the de-facto SDF capital, thousands protested in solidarity with the Kurdish forces. SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami accused Syrian government forces of being "jihadists" and warned the Aleppo fighting "opened the door to the expansion of the war into other areas".
Internationally, the United States urged restraint. A State Department official stated that US envoy Tom Barrack was attempting to mediate, calling on all parties to focus on building a peaceful Syria rather than reverting to violence. The US faces a delicate balancing act, maintaining ties with its Kurdish allies while engaging with the new authorities in Damascus.
Turkey, which views the SDF as a terrorist-linked group, labelled it the "biggest obstacle to peace in Syria" and offered military aid to Damascus if requested.
With distrust soaring and a critical peace agreement faltering, the renewed combat in Aleppo threatens to unravel Syria's fragile post-conflict stability and plunge the region into deeper turmoil.
