Fierce clashes broke out on Monday, October 6, around the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo (northern Syria), between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control the two areas.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Aleppo reported that the fighting involved exchanges of sniper fire and artillery and mortar shelling, some of which reached civilian areas within the city. As a result of the escalating tension, Local authorities closed several main roads, including al-Siryan Street, Tishreen Bridge, Baghdad Station, and al-Layramoun.
A security source told the state-run al-Ikhbariyah TV that the clashes resulted in one death and three injuries among the Internal Security Forces after SDF targeted army checkpoints around Sheikh Maqsoud.
The fighting was preceded by the arrival of Syrian army reinforcements and the closure of all entrances leading to both neighborhoods, causing heavy traffic congestion. Civilians were allowed to leave but not to enter.
The Media and Communications Directorate at the Ministry of Defense told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the army’s movements are part of a redeployment plan in northern and northeastern Syria following what it described as “repeated attacks” by the SDF against civilians and government forces, as well as its attempts to seize new points and villages. The ministry stressed its commitment to the March 10 agreement between the government and the SDF, denying any intention to launch new military operations.
For its part, the SDF said the escalation in Aleppo was due to “provocations by government-affiliated factions” and their attempt to advance with tanks, denying via Facebook that it had targeted Syrian army checkpoints near the two neighborhoods.
A military source, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media, told Enab Baladi that the government had been pressuring the SDF to withdraw from the neighborhoods and hand them over to state security supervision, under an arrangement where both Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh would remain under Syrian government control without the presence of armed factions inside the city.
The source added that the government had outlined specific terms in a meeting held about two weeks ago, but both sides rejected each other’s conditions, leading to the current escalation. He noted that the government decided not to tolerate any armed group operating outside state authority, and any potential military escalation falls within its efforts to restore full security and control.
Previous Tensions
The issue of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh resurfaced after earlier tensions on September 22, when the Syrian army sent armored reinforcements to the vicinity of the two neighborhoods to strengthen its positions facing the SDF.
According to a military source who spoke to Enab Baladi, the tensions began when SDF targeted a pickup truck belonging to the Defense Ministry, killing one soldier and injuring four others who were briefly captured. The incident triggered a state of alert in the city.
The Defense Ministry did not comment at the time. However, a source in Aleppo Governorate said the situation was resolved the same day, confirming that the SDF had released the captured soldiers.
The SDF, in turn, said it had repelled an attack by what it called “rogue factions” affiliated with the Damascus government on one of its checkpoints near Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh. The group claimed the assault injured three attackers and that its fighters shot down a drone used in the offensive.
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