The neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo, which have a large Kurdish population, continue to be subjected to attacks by forces affiliated with the Syrian interim government. Despite the April 1 Agreement, tensions have escalated again in recent days.
According to local sources, neighborhoods came under artillery fire and were surrounded by tanks late last night. The Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in Aleppo stated that the aggression was launched by groups affiliated with the interim government’s Ministry of Defense, announcing that two RPG-7 rockets had been fired at their positions. No lives were lost during the shelling that lasted throughout the night, but material damage occurred.
Speaking to ANF, journalist Mihemed Ebdo said that the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah have been under attack since yesterday. Heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, have been deployed around the neighborhoods, and this military movement directly threatens the civilian population.
Ebdo stated that more than six artillery shells had been fired at two neighborhoods since last night, that there were no casualties in the attacks, which, however, caused material damage. According to the journalist, the roads leading to Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah and other neighborhoods in Aleppo were completely closed. People are only permitted to leave the area in question and their access to basic needs is blocked.
Ebdo emphasized that neighborhoods were experiencing power and water outages and there was an urgent need for fuel, medical supplies, and basic needs. Warning that a serious humanitarian crisis could occur if the current situation continued, he stated, “This policy aims to displace the residents of both neighborhoods, who have always resisted. The people here have thwarted the Turkish state’s and the interim government’s plots through their resistance. For this reason, they are resorting to all kinds of coercion, pressure, and hardship to force the people out of these neighborhoods.”
The journalist noted that the attacks were carried out by groups such as al-Hamzat, al-Amshad, Asiftil-Shemal (Northern Storm), and Nureddin Zenki, which had been established during the occupation of Afrin and had changed their names. “All of these are mercenaries affiliated with the Turkish state that have changed their names. Under the names of the 60th Division, 72nd Division, 76th Division, and 80th Division, they are attacking these neighborhoods under the auspices of the Defense Ministry of the interim government. They receive their orders from Turkish intelligence,” he said.
“These attacks are the result of a plan. Both neighborhoods have been under siege for the past four months. UCAVs and bomb-laden drones were already flying over both neighborhoods. This activity was followed by the attacks,” said Ebdo. The journalist emphasized that the attacks violated the March 10 Agreement and the April 1 Agreement, and recalled that the tension began on December 22 after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Damascus.