8+ civilians killed in Aleppo as Damascus, SDF trade blame
Shafaq News– Aleppo (Updated at 14:34)
At least eight civilians were killed and 57 wounded over the past three days in shelling and drone attacks on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, according to the city’s Internal Security Forces (Asayish).
The Syrian government has not released official casualty figures so far, though state-affiliated Al-Ikhbariyah TV said that four people were wounded.
Mutual accusations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) persist as violence in Aleppo increasingly affects both sides. Syrian state media SANA accused SDF fighters of shelling residential areas and targeting internal security positions with heavy machine guns, alleging the group violated existing agreements and used civilians as “human shields” by blocking their exit from the neighborhoods.
إن تهديد "حكومة دمشق" وتوابعها بقصف حيّي الشيخ مقصود والأشرفية يُعدّ تمهيداً لارتكاب مجازر وقتلٍ عام بحق الأهالي، ونحمّلها كامل المسؤولية والتبعات عن أي جريمة لاحقة.The threat issued by the “Damascus government” and its affiliates to shell the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh…
— Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) January 8, 2026
Asayish rejected the claims and accused Damascus-aligned factions of carrying out “systematic, indiscriminate bombardment” using artillery, rockets, tanks, and drones. In a statement, the force described the campaign as “collective punishment,” alleging electricity cuts and restrictions on food and medical supplies to tighten the siege on residents.
As fighting continued, Syrian civil defense teams resumed evacuations, moving civilians from Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid through humanitarian corridors reopened by Aleppo authorities in coordination with the Syrian army. The routes were temporarily opened after families said they had been trapped when exits were blocked a day earlier.
SANA reporter in Aleppo:The SDF organization targets al-Siryan and al-Khalidiyah neighborhoods in Aleppo with mortar shells, injuring three people in al-Khalidiyah.#Aleppo#SDF_organization#al_Siryan_neighborhood
— SANA English (@SANAEnOfficial) January 8, 2026
The Syrian army announced a curfew in the affected neighborhoods and warned against attacks on civilians using the evacuation routes, while declaring the start of operations against SDF positions.
Turkiye, which has forces deployed in northern Syria, distanced itself from the escalation. The Turkish National Defense Ministry said the operation in Aleppo was carried out entirely by the Syrian army, stressing Ankara had no direct role. In a statement, the ministry said, “Syria’s security is our security,” adding that developments were being closely monitored and that Turkiye supports Syria’s fight against “terrorist groups.”
