At least 12 people have been killed during two days of heavy fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo.
Tens of thousands of civilians fled the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh after the Syrian army shelled the areas.
The Syrian government declared the districts closed military zones and said the operation was aimed at preserving security.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said the assault was a criminal attempt to forcibly displace residents.
The situation is terrible and awful, all my friends have left for other towns.
An Aleppo resident told the BBC.
The shelling intensified and we left because our children could no longer endure it.
Displaced resident Samer Issa said.
The violence highlights ongoing instability under President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government following last year’s overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
In March 2025, the SDF signed an agreement to integrate its military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.
The deal has stalled, with both sides accusing each other of undermining the process.
The SDF remains unwilling to surrender the autonomy gained during Syria’s 13-year civil war.
The standoff risks drawing in Turkey, which supports the Syrian government and labels the Kurdish militia as a terrorist group.