File image.
The forces of Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government launched a large-scale offensive to capture the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo from fighters affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) late on January 8, just a day after the clashes broke out in the northern city.
Early on in the day, government forces issued a number of evacuation orders covering large parts of the two neighborhoods.
The warnings, coupled with intense shelling and an earlier order declaring Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh a “closed military zone,” caused a mass exclusion from the neighborhoods, with state media reporting the displacement of more than 165,000 people in under 48 hours.
The SDF said that its security forces, Asayish, repelled multiple attacks on the two neighborhoods in the morning and afternoon.
As the offensive began in the evening, videos emerged online showing dozens of troops, reportedly from the new military’s 60th, 72th and 98th divisions, pouring into Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in armored personnel carriers, some of which recently supplied by Turkey, and main battle tanks.
The official SANA news agency reported defections in the ranks of Kurdish fighters, and said that locals handed over parts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh to government forces without a fight. Other media sources linked to the government reported that all of Ashrafieh was captured.
These claims were, however, dismissed by SDF spokesman, Farhad Shami, who said on the X social network that the Asayish is clashing with government forces in Ashrafieh, and had killed 13 troops, captured two others and destroyed two armored vehicles.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that only six members of government forces were killed in the past 48 hours, noting that a member of the Asyish also lost its life, in addition to 17 civilians.
Amid the chaos two artillery strikes targeted Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, with the SDF blaming government forces. Casualties were reported, although no details were provided by the Kurdish-led group.
Meanwhile, the SANA said that four journalists were wounded in “mortar shelling” by Kurdish forces close to the two neighborhoods.
Government forces enjoy complete superiority in numbers and fire power. However, the fighters holding up at Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh are well-armed and highly-experienced. The neighborhoods are also located on high ground, and reported to be fortified, even with a complete network of underground tunnels.
The SDF has been also amusing its forces Deir Hafer in the eastern Aleppo countryside for the last two days, and could in theory launch an attack towards the city to relieve Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.
The escalation in Aleppo began right after Syria, Israel and the United States announced an understanding on a joint coordination mechanism that would demilitarize southern Syria and give Israel security and even economic influence over all of the region.
Notably, however, Israel was the only country that outright condemned the government attack on Kurdish forces there. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that attacks on Kurds in Aleppo are “dangerous and alarming” and that “the international community in general, and the West in particular, has a moral debt toward the Kurds who fought bravely and successfully against ISIS.”
From its side, Turkey stressed its support for the government and even offered to directly help with the offensive in Aleppo.
“Our country supports Syria’s struggle against terrorist organizations on the basis of its unity and territorial integrity, in line with the principle of ‘One State, One Army.’ In this context, if Syria requests assistance, Turkey will provide the necessary support,” Turkish Defence Ministry Press and Public Relations Advisor Admiral Zeki Akturk said at a press conference.
The government and the SDF reach an agreement to end the fighting, but nothing short of the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh will likely be accepted.
The more likely scenario is, however, that this battle is just the beginning of a wider conflict between the two, one that could quickly spread to Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and al-Haskah in the north and east of Syria.
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israel is winning against ruzzia. ruzzia will fall soon.
putin is a zionist pussy stooge.
in 2025, ruzzia was ranked the 2nd best military in the world. in 2026, china will takeover. china is expanding its military might and will soon take over ruzzian lands when they foresee a potential in their resources.
not true not agree
venezuela, iran, ruzzia: it’s happening.
russia and iran need to unite as jews want to destroy both and loot their wealth.
if iran falls, it will be the main fault of traitorous russia. iran gives russia quality drones and russia gives iran traitorous air defense. same as before to venezuela. if the chinese are smart, they will create a virus so that putler will never dare to leave his bunker again.
terrorists killing terrorists. yippee-ki-yay, motherf*ckers.
youre a toyota then they make the crusader. it’s not popular in fact it’s discontinued now. the japanese empire is kaput except in the nazis sympathisers memories of their firmer roman glory hole.
syria. you will have nothing and love it. the globalists are speaking with war and destruction again
great news, i hope both of these quisling groups slaughter each other, both collaborated with the us empire.
hahahaha rule brittania!!!
when the genocide of the kurds occurs, maga will die.
this will make the republican party so dirty in the eyes of the voters that it will never be able to be elected again. this will be a defeat for putin’s russia in particular. putin will never again have his criminal accomplice in the white house.
the promised us, we would beg for a new world order.
sy ria n arm y is weak.
s yrian arm y has man power problem. on the other hand, there are 1 mi llion syr ian men of mil ita ry age in turk ey. these men do not want to turn back to syri a,
the reason is in turke y’s er doga n pay s minu mum wag e 600 u s d per month, but minim um wag e is just 100 u s d in syria.
if erdogan blocks working permit of these syrian men in turkey, the mens will turn back, will register and join the syrian army. if erdogan do not block working permits of syrian men in turkey, syrian army can not attack rojava, kurdistan or alewites in the future.
syria n army is weak.
syrian army has man power problem. on the other hand,
there are 1 mi llion syrian men of mil ita ry age in turkey. these men do not want to turn back to syria,
the reason is in turke y’s er doga n pay s minu mum wag e 600 $ per month, but minim um wag e is just 100 $ in syria.
if erdogan blocks working permit of these syrian men in turkey, the mens will turn back, will register and join the syrian army. if erdogan do not block working permits of syrian men in turkey, syrian army can not attack rojava, kurdistan or alewites in the future, because the syrian srmy will remain being weak and without men power.
syrian army is weak.
syrian army has man power problem. on the other hand, there are 1.000.0000 syrian men of military age in turkey. these men do not want to turn back to syria,
the reasen is in turkey’s erdogan pays m inumum wagee 600 $ per month, but m inimum wagee is just 100 $ in syria.
if erdogan blocks working permit of these syrian men in turkey, the mens will turn back, will register and join the syrian army. if erdogan do not block working permits of syrian men in turkey, syrian army can not attack rojava, kurdistan or alewites in the future, because the syrian srmy will remain being weak and without men power.
the reasen is in turkey’s erdoggan pays min umum wag ee 600 $ per month, but m inimum wa gee is just 100 $ in syria.
if turkey, erdogan blocks working permit of these syrian military age men which are currently 1.000.000 people, syrian military men power living in turkey, these syrian men will turn back to syria, will register and join the syrian army
if erdogan do not block working permits of syrian men in turkey, syrian army can not attack rojava, kurdistan or alewites in the future and the syrian army will continue to be remaining weak and without men power against kurdistan’s 100.000 troops army.