Mass displacement has struck Aleppo, with over 140,000 civilians fleeing their homes amid escalating clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). At least seven people have been killed since the fighting began Tuesday.
Al Jazeera said the army has seized most of Ashrafiyah, a neighborhood in the northern part of Aleppo, and is moving toward Sheikh Maqsoud.
The Syrian Army, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, has launched a major operation tonight against Kurdish-controlled neighborhoods in Aleppo, reportedly clearing a majority of paramilitary forces supported by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). pic.twitter.com/zpykshp3Pg
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 8, 2026
Fierce clashes continue in Aleppo.
Fiercest clashes are reported at the southern area of Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood. pic.twitter.com/ecnS9CgVCf
— ScharoMaroof (@ScharoMaroof) January 8, 2026
BREAKING:
An intense battle just broke out in Aleppo, Syria.
The Syrian Army has launched a massive attack on Kurdish-led SDF forces in the northern parts of the city. pic.twitter.com/eQo4XlA4Tw
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 8, 2026
According to Reuters, Syria’s defence ministry announced a six-hour ceasefire in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyah, and Bani Zaid neighborhoods to allow residents in Kurdish-held areas to evacuate before launching new strikes.
“Armed groups in the neighborhoods are requested to leave the area starting at 03:00 a.m. [8:00 p.m. ET Thursday]. The deadline expires at 09:00 a.m. local time on Friday [2:00 a.m. ET],” the ministry’s statement read. It released over seven maps showing areas it said would be targeted.
Reports said the recent clashes are the fiercest since a March deal to integrate the SDF in Syria’s military collapsed.
SDF head Mazloum Abdi said the government forces’ strikes and deployment of tanks had undermined “the chances of reaching understandings, create conditions for dangerous demographic changes, and expose civilians trapped in the two neighbourhoods to the risk of massacres.”
In a statement, the Syrian government said stability could not be achieved with weapons outside the authority of the state, adding the only solution was the return of government control to “preserve the unity of Syria.”
Two government officials told Reuters that negotiations were ongoing regarding the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the city.
Meanwhile, the United States called for an end to fighting and offered support to de-escalate the conflict.
