HTS declares Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo military zones as civilian death toll rises

The Operations Room, composed of groups under the command of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria, declared the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo as “closed military zones” yesterday.

Authorities ordered the closure of all entry and exit points to the area, though they announced that two humanitarian corridors—via the Avariz Crossing and Zuhur Street—would remain temporarily open to allow for the evacuation of civilians.

Tensions in the region escalated sharply after HTS-affiliated forces launched military operations within and around these densely populated neighborhoods.

The Operations Room warned residents to stay away from positions held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), declaring that all SDF outposts within the neighborhoods would be considered “legitimate military targets.”

Civilian casualties mount: Death toll surpasses 40

As the intensity of the clashes grows, reports regarding civilian casualties continue to emerge.

The Syria Justice Archive announced that at least 43 civilians have lost their lives in the region since Tuesday.

According to unofficial data from local sources, at least nine people, including women and children, were killed in the last 24 hours alone, with dozens more sustained injuries.

Schools and public institutions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods have remained closed for two days due to the ongoing hostilities between HTS-affiliated forces and SDF units.

Evacuations have accelerated as the humanitarian situation in the area deteriorates. Sources speaking to Kurdistan24 reported that Syria Civil Defense (White Helmets) teams had evacuated 850 civilians from the two neighborhoods by Wednesday afternoon. These evacuations are being conducted through designated assembly points in the Avariz area and Zuhur Street.

Parties trade accusations

The General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh accused HTS-affiliated groups of indiscriminately shelling civilian residential areas with heavy weaponry.

During a press conference, council representatives argued that the bombardment was intended to terrorize the local population and break the will of Kurdish civilians.

“The attacks began with all types of heavy weaponry,” the General Council stated, emphasizing that despite the onslaught, they would not abandon the defense of the region.

On the SDF side, officials held groups such as the Hamza Division, the Suleiman Shah Brigade, the Sultan Murad Division, and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement—groups that formerly operated under the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army before coming under HTS command—responsible for the clashes, which broke out as integration talks reached a deadlock.

The SDF alleged that these groups are deliberately targeting civilian settlements.

In response, HTS-affiliated groups maintained that the operation was a reaction to a “major offensive” launched by the SDF against Aleppo neighborhoods.

The Operations Room accused the SDF of “committing numerous massacres” against civilians and targeting Syrian army positions.

The HTS-affiliated Ministry of Defense echoed these claims, alleging that the SDF had struck military outposts.

Allegations of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘war of extermination’

The escalation of conflict has drawn sharp condemnation from Kurdish political representatives and human rights organizations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) issued a strongly worded statement accusing the HTS leadership of committing “sectarian crimes and ethnic cleansing” against various segments of society.

The Observatory claimed that government forces had previously targeted Alawite communities in coastal regions and Druze residents in Suwayda, and were now directing similar actions toward Kurds. SOHR stated that the current operations reflect a “racist mindset.”

Ilham Ahmed, the Foreign Relations Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), stated on the X platform that the Ministry of Defense had declared war on neighborhoods filled with civilians.

Ahmed characterized the move as a “war of extermination” against Kurds, many of whom had already faced persecution and were forcibly displaced from Afrin.

Sipan Hemo, a member of the SDF General Command, issued a message to the residents of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, describing the neighborhoods as symbols of resistance.

Hemo noted that the local population has withstood attacks and sieges for over 15 years, asserting that the neighborhoods would remain “fortresses of resistance” in the face of these latest assaults.