Buses to evacuate Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters who want to leave the area are seen lining up to enter the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, northern Syria, Jan. 9, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian interim government on Friday accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of violating withdrawal arrangements in Aleppo and announced a military operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.
Pro-Damascus forces said SDF-linked fighters targeted evacuation buses on three occasions, shelled army positions, and attacked soldiers, leaving three servicemen dead and more than a dozen wounded, despite an earlier agreement allowing SDF fighters to leave the neighborhood with their personal weapons to ease tensions.
"The policy of stalling adopted by the SDF, accompanied by systematic shelling and targeting of civilian sites before military ones in Aleppo, has reduced the chances of continuing any new agreement with this organization," the forces said.
They also alleged the presence of fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sheikh Maqsoud, accusing them of joining the SDF in killing more than 10 Kurdish youths who refused to fight and burning their bodies to intimidate residents. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union.
Pro-Damascus forces said the operation aims to remove what they called "criminal elements" from Sheikh Maqsoud. Control of the neighborhood will be transferred to internal security forces and state institutions after the operation, they added.
Earlier Friday, pro-Damascus forces completed their deployment in the neighboring Ashrafieh district following the SDF's withdrawal there.
The latest developments follow days of intense clashes, shelling, and drone strikes in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, which have displaced many civilians and sharply escalated tensions between the Syrian interim government and the SDF, despite ongoing political talks on military integration. ■
Damaged buildings are seen in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, northern Syria, Jan. 10, 2026. The Syrian interim government on Friday accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of violating withdrawal arrangements in Aleppo and announced a military operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. (Str/Xinhua)
Damaged buildings are seen in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, northern Syria, Jan. 10, 2026. The Syrian interim government on Friday accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of violating withdrawal arrangements in Aleppo and announced a military operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. (Str/Xinhua)
Members of Syria's internal security forces are seen deployed at the entrance of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, northern Syria, Jan. 10, 2026. The Syrian interim government on Friday accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of violating withdrawal arrangements in Aleppo and announced a military operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. (Str/Xinhua)
