The Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Aleppo have categorically rejected claims by the so-called Syrian Ministry of Defense that it now controls 90 percent of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo. In a statement on Saturday, ISF described the claim as “completely unfounded and unrealistic.”
The statement said that the allegation by the Damascus government was part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at concealing the serious human rights violations and war crimes currently being committed by Syrian troops and government militias in the neighborhood.
Heavy fighting and targeted attacks on infrastructure
Currently, intense fighting is taking place in several sections of Sheikh Maqsoud between Internal Security Forces and jihadist mercenaries loyal to the Syrian regime. According to reports, the attackers have suffered “heavy losses.”
At the same time, government troops continue their attacks on the neighborhood with artillery and tanks. Civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, is deliberately targeted, said the ISF, reporting a systematic and deliberate campaign aimed at terrorizing the population and destroying vital facilities.
“What is happening in Sheikh Maqsoud constitutes a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law,” the statement said. “These are targeted attacks on the civilian population, which must not only be condemned under international law, but also documented and prosecuted.”