Syria’s government declared Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh a closed military zone as fighting with SDF escalated, with civilian deaths reported and mass evacuations underway,
The Jerusalem Post reports.
The Ahmed al-Sharaa-led Damascus government declared a curfew in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo from 3 p.m. on Wednesday, state-run Syrian Arab News Agency confirmed.
The two areas have been declared a "closed military zone," and the government's statement called onresidents to "stay away from Syrian Democratic Forces personnel."
The SDF, a US-backed, largely Kurdish force, has accused Damascus of carrying out "a dangerous and unprecedented escalation," including shelling and drone strikes on the northern Syrian city.
SDF claims that the death toll before the curfew was imposed had "risen to seven civilians killed, with 52 injured," by government forces' attacks.
The North Press Agency, which describes itself as independent but is largely pro-SDF, noted that Kurds in Kobani protested in solidarity with SDF and Aleppo, holding a city-wide strike, closing stores.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), an autonomous region, of which the SDF is the military wing, stressed that the SDF is not present in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods and condemned Damascus's actions, NPA reported.
Damascus state-run Al Ikbariya TV claimed that 2,324 civilians had been "evacuated" from the neighborhoods, as of 2:40 p.m.
