Syria Launches Operation to Clear SDF From Sheikh Maqsoud
The Chronify
The army said the curfew took effect at 6:30 pm local time (15:30 GMT) on Friday and will remain in place "until further notice,” according to SANA.
The Syrian army announced a comprehensive curfew yesterday evening in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud district, declaring the area a restricted military zone following renewed clashes.
The decision came after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declined to withdraw from the neighborhood, despite an earlier cease-fire intended to halt several days of fighting.
According to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Sheikh Maqsoud—still controlled by the YPG-led SDF—has been formally designated a closed military area. Military authorities stated that the curfew began at 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday and will remain in effect until further notice.
The move follows significant territorial losses for the SDF in Aleppo. Government forces have already regained control of the Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid districts, confining the group’s remaining presence in the city to Sheikh Maqsoud alone.
Earlier in the day, the army announced the establishment of a humanitarian passage to allow civilians to safely exit Sheikh Maqsoud and relocate to other parts of Aleppo. At the same time, SDF fighters were urged to surrender their weapons.
State television channel Alikhbariya reported that the army has identified specific sites inside Sheikh Maqsoud that it claims were converted by the SDF into command centers and firing positions used in attacks against nearby neighborhoods.
The latest escalation began on Tuesday, when SDF units reportedly launched strikes from Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud targeting residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and military positions. Official figures say the attacks resulted in nine deaths, injured 55 people, and forced approximately 165,000 residents to flee the two districts.
In response, Syrian forces initiated what they described as a “limited military operation” on Thursday, successfully reclaiming Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid. By Friday night, Sheikh Maqsoud remained the sole district in Aleppo outside government control.
On March 10, 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement aimed at integrating the SDF into state institutions, emphasizing national unity and rejecting any form of territorial fragmentation. However, officials say the SDF has failed to take meaningful steps toward implementing the deal.
Since the removal of the Assad government in December 2024, which ended 24 years of rule, authorities have intensified security operations nationwide in an effort to restore stability and assert state control.
The Syrian army announced a comprehensive curfew yesterday evening in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud district, declaring the area a restricted military zone following renewed clashes.
The decision came after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declined to withdraw from the neighborhood, despite an earlier cease-fire intended to halt several days of fighting.
According to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Sheikh Maqsoud—still controlled by the YPG-led SDF—has been formally designated a closed military area. Military authorities stated that the curfew began at 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday and will remain in effect until further notice.
The move follows significant territorial losses for the SDF in Aleppo. Government forces have already regained control of the Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid districts, confining the group’s remaining presence in the city to Sheikh Maqsoud alone.
Earlier in the day, the army announced the establishment of a humanitarian passage to allow civilians to safely exit Sheikh Maqsoud and relocate to other parts of Aleppo. At the same time, SDF fighters were urged to surrender their weapons.
State television channel Alikhbariya reported that the army has identified specific sites inside Sheikh Maqsoud that it claims were converted by the SDF into command centers and firing positions used in attacks against nearby neighborhoods.
The latest escalation began on Tuesday, when SDF units reportedly launched strikes from Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud targeting residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and military positions. Official figures say the attacks resulted in nine deaths, injured 55 people, and forced approximately 165,000 residents to flee the two districts.
In response, Syrian forces initiated what they described as a “limited military operation” on Thursday, successfully reclaiming Ashrafieh and Bani Zeid. By Friday night, Sheikh Maqsoud remained the sole district in Aleppo outside government control.
On March 10, 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement aimed at integrating the SDF into state institutions, emphasizing national unity and rejecting any form of territorial fragmentation. However, officials say the SDF has failed to take meaningful steps toward implementing the deal.
Since the removal of the Assad government in December 2024, which ended 24 years of rule, authorities have intensified security operations nationwide in an effort to restore stability and assert state control.
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