The Syrian Arab Army has launched intensive bombardment against PKK/SDG/YPG positions in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, which Damascus has previously designated as “terrorist zones,” according to official Syrian sources.

Syria’s state news agency SANA cited a military source as saying that the army began heavy shelling on Wednesday after identifying PKK/SDG military positions in the two neighborhoods, which the group has allegedly turned into command centers, military sites and rocket-launching points targeting surrounding districts and civilians.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense’s Media and Communication Directorate announced that the Syrian Arab Army’s Operations Authority would publish a list of specific targets in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh via Syria’s official news channels and platforms, warning residents to stay away from PKK/SDG positions.

The Aleppo Health Directorate reported that at least five civilians were killed and 33 others injured as a result of PKK/SDG fire on several neighborhoods of the city. Heavy clashes erupted between the Syrian army and PKK/SDG militants around Ashrafiyeh, triggering a large-scale displacement of civilians. The developments coincided with the arrival of Chief of General Staff Major General Ali al-Nassan in Aleppo.

Syrian authorities said a Syrian soldier was injured by PKK/SDG artillery fire while securing the evacuation of civilians in the Syrianiyah neighborhood. Additional civilians were reportedly wounded after a shell landed near the Sheikhhan junction in the Khalidiyeh area.

The Syrian army urged civilians to stay away from PKK/SDG positions, while the Operations Directorate confirmed that an SDG checkpoint in Ashrafiyeh was targeted after it allegedly stopped civilians, blocked their exits and spread fear among residents.

The Ministry of Defense stated that PKK/SDG forces had transformed Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh into fortified military zones, adding that focused and intensive operations had been launched from 13:30 local time to neutralize these positions. The two neighborhoods had earlier been declared closed military areas and placed under curfew.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Emergency Management announced that civil defense teams had resumed evacuation operations across several Aleppo districts after they were halted overnight. The Aleppo Governorate’s Press Office accused PKK/SDG forces of attempting to prevent civilians from leaving the two neighborhoods.

According to the Social Affairs Directorate, the number of people who have left Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh has reached 138,750, representing approximately 27,750 families.

Syrian authorities said the army had proposed allowing only general security forces—without regular army units—to enter the two neighborhoods in return for a complete withdrawal of PKK/SDG forces toward Raqqa, but the proposal was rejected by the group.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Syrian army said it was working to protect civilians who are “trying to escape PKK/SDG pressure” in several Aleppo neighborhoods and warned the group not to target those using the safe corridors announced by the governorate. (ILKHA)