Syrian army says it controls Aleppo’s last Kurdish district, Kurds deny

The Syrian army announced on Saturday that it had taken control of Aleppo’s last district held by Kurdish fighters, who denied the claim and said fighting was ongoing.

AFP correspondents on the ground reported hearing gunfire in the morning and saw large numbers of government forces entering the area. Clashes between the central government and Kurdish forces, who control parts of northeastern Syria, have killed at least 21 civilians since Tuesday. These are the most intense battles in Aleppo since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, forcing tens of thousands to flee. The United Nations estimates at least 30,000 families have been displaced.

“We announce the end of a full security operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo,” the army said in a statement relayed by the official Sana news agency, while warning residents to stay in their homes. Kurdish forces, however, dismissed the claim as “baseless.” The Syrian Defense Ministry had previously warned, as quoted by Sana, that “the only option left for armed elements in the Sheikh Maqsoud area of Aleppo is to immediately surrender, arms in hand, at the nearest military checkpoint, in exchange for a guarantee of their lives and personal safety.” The army had already claimed control of Ashrafieh, the other Kurdish-held district.

Kurds continue to resist

Damascus had called on Kurdish fighters on Friday to leave the city, promising safe transfer to areas controlled by the Kurdish autonomous authority in the northeast. The Kurds refused to surrender, and government forces, reinforced with additional troops, resumed strikes in the evening. AFP reporters documented heavy artillery and gunfire late Friday.

The violence comes amid efforts to implement a March agreement integrating Kurdish institutions and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the central state. On Telegram, the SDF said overnight that the army had attacked with “significant tank support and brutal artillery shelling,” reiterating their plan to “continue to resist.” Syrian state television accused the Kurds of launching drones at residential neighborhoods.

Despite the fighting, the army allowed civilians to flee through two “humanitarian corridors,” and AFP reporters saw residents leaving in the rain with luggage. The government also opened 20 mosques to house around 400 displaced families.

International Response

In Amman, U.S. envoy for Syria Tom Barrack reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to “ensuring the peaceful withdrawal of the SDF” and “guaranteeing the security” of civilians, following talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The SDF, which led the fight against Islamic State in Syria, is backed by Washington.

The French Foreign Ministry urged all parties to “immediately return to the cease-fire” and said Paris would work with partners, “first and foremost the United States,” to restore security and stability in Aleppo.

Kurds have said they remain ready to continue sensitive negotiations with Damascus to integrate their institutions into the central government. “The government side is seeking, through these attacks, to end the agreements reached. We are committed to them and are working to implement them,” Elham Ahmed, head of foreign relations for the local Kurdish administration, told AFP.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the new Islamist government has pledged to protect minorities but has faced massacres of Alawites on the coast in March and clashes with Druze communities in the south in July.