Aleppo Clashes: Syrian Government and Kurdish Forces Resume Conflict

Recent clashes in Aleppo, Syria, between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led groups have resulted in civilian displacement and raised concerns about the stability of a March 2025 agreement intended to integrate Kurdish forces into the Syrian state. The renewed violence centers on the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, long considered Kurdish strongholds.

Escalation of Violence in January 2026

On January 6, 2026, Syrian government forces initiated a new wave of attacks on the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, resulting in at least seven civilian deaths and over fifty injuries. Tens of thousands of Kurdish residents have been forced to flee their homes, according to reports. Middle East Forum.

Damascus has blamed the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for initiating the conflict, a claim the SDF denies. Abdul Karim Omar, a representative of the Kurdish autonomous administration in Damascus, stated that the neighborhoods were “completely besieged” and that Kurdish Asayish security forces, equipped with only light weapons, were in control. Middle East Forum.

Historical Context and Previous Agreements

Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh have been under the control of Kurdish units linked to the SDF since 2012, shortly after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict. Wikipedia. Despite occasional tensions with the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, the neighborhoods largely avoided the widespread violence that affected other parts of Aleppo.

A compromise was reached in March 2025, aiming for joint administration of the two neighborhoods between the SDF and the interim government in Damascus. However, at least six episodes of violence have occurred since then. Middle East Forum. The agreement stipulated the integration of the Kurdish authority into the state by the finish of 2025, a process that has stalled due to Kurdish demands for decentralized rule, which have been rejected by Syria’s new authorities. Middle East Forum.

Recent Developments and Impact

The recent clashes prompted the Syrian army to declare Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh “closed military zones” and establish “safe humanitarian crossings” for civilians to leave. Middle East Forum. AFP correspondents reported seeing large groups of families fleeing the neighborhoods. Flights to and from Aleppo’s airport were suspended, and schools and government offices were closed due to the violence. Middle East Forum.

In February 2026, most of the tens of thousands of residents who had fled Sheikh Maqsoud during the fighting had returned, though signs of the conflict remained. AP News.

Sheikh Maqsud: A Vulnerable Kurdish Neighborhood

Sheikh Maqsud, a Kurdish-majority neighborhood in Aleppo, has a population of approximately 30,000 as of May 2016. Wikipedia. Separated from larger Kurdish regions of Syria, it has been vulnerable to attacks from groups like the Al-Nusra Front and other Islamist rebel groups, particularly during the Syrian Civil War. Wikipedia. In 2016, Amnesty International suggested that attacks on Sheikh Maqsud constituted war crimes, with over 83 civilians killed between February and April. Wikipedia.