The Syrian army has ordered civilians to evacuate three contested neighbourhoods in Aleppo as fighting with Kurdish-led forces enters its third day, stoking fears of a wider conflict between the government and the US-backed Kurdish authorities in Syria.
The government urged residents of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid to leave by early afternoon, opening humanitarian corridors and displacement shelters. After a 1:30 pm local time deadline, shelling began from both government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The clashes are the most intense since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
About 140,000 civilians have been displaced since Tuesday, according to Aleppo's directorate of social affairs. At least eight civilians have been killed in Kurdish-majority areas and seven civilians and one soldier in government-controlled zones. The SDF denies having fighters in the neighbourhoods, describing them as local self-defence forces.
The Syrian government announced on Wednesday its intention to push Kurdish fighters from all of Aleppo city, exacerbating tensions with the SDF, which controls much of north-east Syria. Both sides have accused each other of human rights violations: the government claims the SDF used civilians as human shields, while the SDF shared videos of shelling on a hospital and residential areas.
The conflict stems from unresolved disagreements over the SDF's status after the March 2025 agreement to integrate into the Syrian army. A meeting on Sunday yielded no progress, with the SDF seeking autonomy and retaining its weapons. A US State Department official urged restraint, and envoy Tom Barrack is mediating.
