Syrian army units have taken control of most of the Ashrafiyeh neighborhood in central Aleppo from the PKK/YPG terrorist group, according to military sources, as clashes continued in parts of the city and preparations were made to secure nearby districts.
Military sources told Anadolu Agency (AA) that army units entered Ashrafiyeh from the south, west and north, largely securing the neighborhood following targeted operations against PKK/YPG positions. Special Task Force units affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry have also entered the area and launched search and clearance operations.
Clashes between Syrian army units and PKK/YPG terrorists continued in some sections of Ashrafiyeh and along the Sheikh Maqsoud front, the sources said.
Aleppo Governor Azzam Gharib said a large number of members of the PKK/YPG, operating under the name of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have defected or fled amid preparations by Syrian security forces to deploy in the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods.
“Information received indicated that large numbers of SDF members had defected in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, while others had fled,” Gharib said in a statement shared on X, adding that the developments could lead to a significant shift on the ground.
He said internal security forces are preparing to deploy inside both neighborhoods to fully secure them and ensure the safe return of displaced residents to their homes. “A dark chapter in Aleppo is beginning to close,” Gharib said.
The PKK/YPG, which uses the SDF name in Syria, has carried out multiple attacks across Aleppo since Dec. 6 after occupying several areas in the city. Damascus had previously called on the group to adhere to agreements and halt its attacks.
Following the continued assaults, Syrian army forces launched targeted operations against PKK/YPG positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, which remain partially contested.
The terrorist group has also targeted civilian residential areas in Aleppo, killing nine Syrians and wounding 55 others, most of them civilians, since Dec. 6, according to local authorities.
The Aleppo Central Committee said earlier that 142,000 people had been evacuated to safer areas amid the fighting.
