Smoke rises over residential buildings near the Ashrafieh neighborhood in Aleppo city, Syria, Jan. 8, 2026. The Syrian army on Thursday launched intense shelling targeting positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency reported. (Str/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Thursday launched heavy shelling against positions of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, as the civilian death toll rose amid escalating clashes, state media and local authorities said.
The state-run SANA news agency, citing a military source, said the strikes targeted previously identified SDF positions inside the two neighborhoods, marking a sharp escalation following days of intermittent fighting and security operations in the northern city.
In a later report, the news agency said that residents of contested Kurdish neighborhoods in the city began handing over parts of the areas to Syrian state authorities, as internal security forces prepared to deploy and restore order.
Earlier on Thursday, the Syrian army released maps marking locations it identified as being under SDF control in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. The army urged civilians to avoid these areas as military forces readied to engage using what officials referred to as "appropriate weapons."
Aleppo's Health Directorate said the number of civilians killed in the clashes has risen to nine, with at least 55 others wounded.
A correspondent for Syria's state TV al-Ikhbariya reported that residential neighborhoods in Aleppo were struck by what he described as long-range heavy artillery fire launched by the SDF. The Syrian army's operations command issued an urgent safety advisory to residents of Ashrafieh and the adjacent Bani Zaid neighborhood, urging them to stay away from windows and move to lower floors to reduce the risk of injury.
In a related development, the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced an extension of the suspension of all flights to and from Aleppo International Airport until 11:00 p.m. local time on Friday, citing ongoing security concerns.
In a statement, SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi accused Syrian government-affiliated forces of deploying tanks and artillery in Aleppo's neighborhoods, shelling civilians and displacing residents during an ongoing negotiation process. He said efforts are underway with various parties to halt the attacks.
The group stated that the number of civilian victims from what it described as "indiscriminate attacks" by Syrian government-affiliated forces on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh has risen to 12 killed and 64 wounded, adding that civilians remained trapped under the rubble of damaged buildings.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned that the concurrent escalation posed a direct threat to civilian lives, saying continued shelling of populated areas is worsening instability and deepening humanitarian suffering.
According to the monitor, at least 21 people have been killed since the start of the escalation, including 14 civilians, among them four women and three children, while seven military personnel from both sides were also reported killed. The observatory said the number of wounded has risen to at least 69, including women and children, amid heavy artillery and mortar fire.
The fighting comes against the backdrop of stalled talks between Syria's transitional government and the SDF on military integration under a March 2025 agreement, highlighting the fragility of the security situation in Aleppo and the growing risks faced by civilians caught in contested areas. ■
An elderly woman sits by the roadside outside the Ashrafieh neighborhood in Aleppo city, Syria, Jan. 8, 2026. The Syrian army on Thursday launched intense shelling targeting positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency reported. (Str/Xinhua)
Syrian security vehicles are seen parked along a street outside the Ashrafieh neighborhood in Aleppo city, Syria, Jan. 8, 2026. The Syrian army on Thursday launched intense shelling targeting positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency reported. (Str/Xinhua)
