Large numbers of terrorists from the PKK/YPG group operating under the name of the SDF have defected or fled in Aleppo, authorities said on Thursday, as Syrian security forces prepared to deploy in contested neighbourhoods and a widening escalation forced nearly 142,000 civilians from their homes.
Aleppo Governor Azzam Gharib said YPG terrorists had defected in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods, with others fleeing the areas altogether.
“These developments could pave the way for a significant shift on the ground,” he said in a statement, adding that internal security forces were preparing to enter the neighbourhoods to fully secure them and enable displaced residents to return.
“A dark chapter in Aleppo is beginning to close,” he said.
The Syrian government demands the removal of the group from Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh neighbourhoods of Aleppo, and end the military situation threatening civilian lives.
The defections come as tensions in and around the two neighbourhoods triggered one of the largest waves of displacement the city has seen in years.
Temporary shelters opened
According to the state-run Aleppo Central Response Committee, nearly 142,000 civilians have been evacuated since Tuesday under an emergency plan aimed at protecting residents from ongoing shelling.
More than 13,000 people arrived at shelters by early Thursday afternoon alone.
Authorities said 12 temporary shelters have been opened, including 10 inside Aleppo and two in the northern countryside areas of Azaz and Afrin.
The committee accused YPG of shelling civilian neighbourhoods and the surroundings of designated humanitarian corridors, calling the attacks a blatant violation of international law. Educational, health and service facilities were also hit, it said.
Army operations against the terror group
The Syrian army on Thursday launched heavy and focused shelling on YPG positions in Aleppo in retaliation for attacks that killed at least nine civilians and wounded dozens.
The strikes followed a third consecutive day of YPG shelling of residential areas, according to Syrian media.
The fighting has unfolded despite a March 10 agreement announced by the Syrian presidency to integrate the SDF into state institutions as part of a push to preserve Syria’s territorial unity. Syrian officials say the group has failed to take meaningful steps to implement the deal.
Damascus has stepped up security operations nationwide since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, ending more than two decades of rule, as it seeks to reassert control and stabilise flashpoints such as Aleppo.
