Syrian army renews strikes on Kurdish fighters in Aleppo

The Syrian city of Aleppo once again became the site of fighting on Friday as after Kurdish groups rejected government demands to abandon their positions.

Syrian forces hit the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya neighborhoods that have been held by Kurdish forces since the early days of the war that broke out in 2011.

Although Kurdish fighters said they have already left the city, Kurdish security forces remain in place.

The Syrian Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire overnight into Friday, calling on Kurdish forces to leave the city and move into other Kurdish-held areas.

But Kurdish forces rejected what they called "a call to surrender," adding that they would "defend their neighborhoods."

Several hours later, the Defense Ministry said the deadline for withdrawal had passed and that the military would take control of the districts by force.

It said it had carried out strikes on locations used by Kurdish forces to attack the "people of Aleppo."

Kurdish security forces said some of the strikes hit a hospital, accusing the military of committing a war crime. The Defense Ministry said the site had been a weapons depot.

Aleppo is home to one of the many fault lines that the post-Assad government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa are faced with.

Kurdish forces are the main group in the collection of armed groups that make up the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — a US-backed group that was integral in fighting so-called Islamic State (IS).

The new Syrian government signed an agreement with the SDF to integrate the forces into the Defense Ministry by the end of 2025, but little progress has been made.

France and the US have been seeking to mediate in the situation, with a diplomat telling the Reuters news agency that efforts have focused on finding a deal that would see Kurdish forces leave with protections in place for Kurds who remain in the city.

A French Foreign Ministry statement said President Emmanuel Macron had urged Sharaa on Thursday "to exercise restraint and reiterated France's commitment to a united Syria where all segments of Syrian society are represented and protected."

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