ISTANBUL

A large number of members of the PKK/YPG terrorist group operating under the name of SDF have defected in Aleppo amid preparations by Syrian security forces to deploy in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in the northern city, a governor said Thursday.

“Information received indicated that large numbers of SDF members had defected in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, while others had fled,” Aleppo Governor Azzam Gharib said in a post on the US social media company X.

“These developments could pave the way for a significant shift on the ground,” he added.

The governor said internal security forces are now preparing to deploy inside the two 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,” he said.

Separately, a government source told Alikhbariyah TV that residents of the Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid neighborhoods in Aleppo have begun handing over parts of these areas to the Syrian state, amid defections by SDF affiliates.

According to the source, internal security forces are preparing to move in and impose security across the area as the handover process continues.

Nearly 142,000 Syrians have already been displaced from Aleppo since the start of SDF attacks on Tuesday.

The Syrian army began heavy and focused shelling of SDF positions in Aleppo on Thursday in retaliation for attacks by the group that killed at least nine civilians and injured dozens.

On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

Syrian authorities say that in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, after 24 years in power.