The Syrian army on Monday ordered a halt to attacks against positions held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, following clashes that left civilians dead, wounded dozens, and triggered fresh displacement in parts of the northern city, according to official Syrian statements.

Syrian defense authorities said the army’s general command issued clear instructions to stop targeting SDF fire sources after several of them were “neutralized.” The decision, they said, was part of efforts to contain the escalation, limit the scope of fighting, and push clashes away from densely populated residential neighborhoods.

In an official statement, the authorities stressed that the army acted within its duty to protect civilians and defend them, emphasizing that it did not seek to alter existing lines of control and confined its actions to responding to incoming fire.

The halt order came after a sharp escalation earlier in the day. Syria’s interior authorities reported that a child and his mother were killed in Aleppo, while 15 other civilians—most of them women and children—were wounded as a result of what they described as indiscriminate shelling and sniper fire by SDF forces.

According to the authorities, the wounded were transferred to al-Razi Hospital and Aleppo University Hospital for treatment. Al-Razi Hospital itself reportedly came under direct shelling while casualties were arriving, forcing medical staff to continue providing emergency care under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.

Emergency and disaster management authorities said two members of the Syrian Civil Defense were wounded by direct gunfire while carrying out rescue duties near the al-Shihan roundabout in Aleppo. An ambulance transporting personnel was also targeted, further complicating emergency response efforts.

Separately, the Syrian Civil Defense reported fires breaking out in the Jamiliyah and Sheikh Taha neighborhoods due to shelling and gunfire. Firefighting teams were deployed to extinguish the blazes despite ongoing security risks and intermittent fighting.

State news agency SANA reported that dozens of families fled their homes and moved toward western parts of Aleppo to escape the violence, amid growing fears of further escalation. Local sources said schools and some markets in nearby areas were temporarily closed as a precaution.

Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddin al-Baba said the clashes were not the first attempt to undermine the March 10 agreement between Damascus and the SDF. He accused SDF forces of withdrawing from joint checkpoints and opening fire on Syrian army positions, alleging that a foreign-linked faction within the SDF was deliberately fueling tensions and targeting densely populated neighborhoods, including medical facilities.

The SDF, however, offered a different account. In a separate statement, it said two of its internal security members were wounded in what it described as an attack by factions linked to Syria’s defense authorities on a checkpoint at the al-Shihan roundabout. The SDF accused Damascus of responsibility for the escalation, claiming that civilian casualties were caused by shelling and tank fire.

As of late Monday and early Tuesday, local reports indicated a relative decline in the intensity of clashes following the army’s halt order, though sporadic gunfire was still reported in some areas near the contact lines. Security forces from both sides reinforced their presence in affected neighborhoods, while negotiations through local mediators were reportedly underway to prevent further escalation.

Humanitarian and medical sources said hospitals remain on high alert, and displacement continues on a limited scale as families seek shelter with relatives or in safer districts of the city. Authorities warned that the situation remains fragile and could quickly deteriorate if the ceasefire understanding collapses.

The fighting once again underscores the fragile security situation in Aleppo and the persistent challenges facing the implementation of the March agreement between Damascus and the SDF, which aims to integrate forces and stabilize parts of Syria but has repeatedly come under strain amid renewed flare-ups on the ground. (ILKHA)