Syrian Army warns against continued SDF mobilization in Aleppo

• Aleppo governor says security measures in Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods aim to restore stability, normal life

ISTANBUL

The Syrian Army warned Tuesday against continued mobilization by the terrorist organization YPG/SDF, alongside the PKK terror group and remnants of the former regime, in the northern province of Aleppo.

In a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the army’s Operations Command said the mobilization was taking place in an area it described as a launch point for Iranian suicide drones targeting Aleppo.

The army urged civilians to stay away from SDF positions in the area and called on all armed groups there to withdraw east of the Euphrates River, warning that it would take all necessary measures to prevent the area from being used as a base for attacks.

It also said several locations have been declared closed military zones with immediate effect.

An intelligence source accused the SDF of recruiting fugitives and individuals wanted by Syrian authorities.

“Large numbers of remnants of the ousted regime and individuals wanted for various crimes have become fighters alongside the SDF organization,” the source told SANA. “These criminals are being recruited with support from Iran and the PKK terrorist group.”

The source said the PKK terrorists, in cooperation with the SDF, are responsible for shelling Aleppo city using Iranian-made drones.

“The Military Intelligence Directorate has foiled several terrorist operations during the SDF’s escalation in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo,” he said.

“PKK terrorist elements are exploiting regime remnants and supplying them with explosive devices and booby traps to target civilian gatherings and Syrian army and security forces.”

Since last week, the SDF has shelled residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo, killing 24 people, wounding nearly 130 others, and displacing about 165,000 residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud districts, according to official figures.

- Restoring security

Addressing a joint press conference on Tuesday, Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib and Aleppo’s Internal Security Commander Mohammed Abdel Ghani said the security measures taken in the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo were part of a broader effort to restore stability and normal life, according to Syrian broadcaster Alikhbariya.

Gharib said the operation was “not merely a security measure, but a comprehensive process aimed at restoring life,” adding that more than 155,000 residents from the two neighborhoods have been received and provided with suitable shelter.

He stressed that the Syrian state “harbors no intentions of revenge against anyone,” noting that anyone who committed crimes against civilians would be held accountable through legal channels.

The governor said residents have already begun returning to Ashrafieh, while efforts are ongoing to ensure the full and safe return of families to Sheikh Maqsoud.

He added that the Syrian Army designated areas between the towns of Deir Hafir and Maskanah as closed military zones after the terrorist organization YPG/SDF used them in coordination with PKK-linked militias and remnants of the former Assad regime.

For his part, Abdel Ghani said security forces are taking steps to eliminate threats posed by tunnels used by the SDF in residential neighborhoods, noting that large numbers of landmines have already been cleared in Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud.

He said authorities have delivered a “clear message” to those who laid down their arms, stressing that the state would deal with them “with mercy and justice,” and revealed that two police stations will soon be opened in the two neighborhoods.

Abdel Ghani warned that the state would not tolerate any attempts to inflame sectarian tensions for personal or political gain.

In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country’s territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

In April 2025, Syrian authorities signed a separate agreement concerning the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, stipulating that both districts remain administrative parts of Aleppo city while respecting their local particularities.

The agreement included provisions banning armed manifestations, restricting weapons to internal security forces, and requiring the withdrawal of SDF military forces to areas east of the Euphrates in northeastern Syria.

However, authorities said the SDF has failed to comply with the terms of those agreements.

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to restore security nationwide since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.