Shelling rocks Syria’s Aleppo as clashes intensify between government, Kurdish fighters

ALEPPO, Syria - Fighting intensified on Jan 8 between Syrian government troops and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, with a fierce exchange of fire extending into the night and rescue workers scrambling to put out fires ignited by the shelling.

Plumes of smoke rose above the city skyline at dusk and the boom of artillery could be heard across Aleppo as the Kurdish fighters tried to repel the troops’ advance and cling on to neighbourhoods under their control.

The fighting, which erupted on Jan 6, has driven more than 140,000 people from their homes and left at least seven civilians dead, according to Syrian authorities.

The deadly stand-off between Damascus and Kurdish authorities who have resisted integrating into the central government is a major challenge for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has pledged to unite the country after 14 years of civil war.  

Stalled ceasefire talks

Syria’s army gave a window on Jan 8 for residents to evacuate the neighbourhoods held by Kurdish forces in Aleppo before launching new strikes there. It released more than seven maps identifying areas it said would be targeted and announced a curfew in the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh from 3pm.     

The Kurdish forces, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Asayish, or internal security forces, said they had pushed back Syrian troops’ attacks.

The United States on Jan 8 called for an end to clashes between government troops and Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, saying it was gravely concerned by the situation.

Mr Tom Barrack, Mr Trump’s special envoy for Syria, said the US and its allies were ready to help efforts to de-escalate tensions between government troops and Kurdish forces, which include the SDF group.

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”.

Two government officials told Reuters that negotiations were under way over the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the city.

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 return of government control to “preserve the unity of Syria”.

The Asayish, in a written statement, denied that its forces had requested safe passage and called instead on the Damascus government to withdraw its forces.

Turkey said it stood ready to help Syria if asked.

“The attacks carried out against civilians in Aleppo have unfortunately exacerbated concerns about the true intentions of the SDF and created a pessimistic picture regarding peace efforts,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a joint press conference with his Omani counterpart on Jan 8.

“The SDF’s insistence on protecting what it has at all costs is the biggest obstacle to achieving peace and stability in Syria,” Mr Fidan added. 

Turkey views the US-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organisation and has warned of military action if the group does not honour the integration agreement.

Ethnic cleansing accusations

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister, Mr Masrour Barzani, said he was deeply concerned by attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo, warning that targeting civilians and attempts to alter the area’s demography amounted to what he described as ethnic cleansing. 

The SDF said Damascus’ evacuation warnings ahead of shelling could amount to forced displacement and war crimes under international humanitarian law.

Kurdish-led authorities established a semi-autonomous administration in north-east Syria and parts of Aleppo during Syria’s 14-year war and have resisted fully integrating into the Islamist-led government that took power after former president Bashar al-Assad

was ousted in late 2024.

Damascus reached a deal with the SDF in 2025 that envisaged full integration by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited, with both sides accusing the other of stalling.

The US has sought to mediate, holding meetings as recently as Jan 4, though those talks ended without tangible results. REUTERS