ISTANBUL 

The Syrian government on Wednesday demanded the withdrawal of the PKK/YPG terror group, operating under the name of SDF, from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, saying their presence violates a previous agreement and undermines security in the city.

In a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the government said that claims made by the SDF regarding the situation in Aleppo contain “fundamental inaccuracies” and do not reflect realities on the ground, adding that they contradict the March 2025 agreement.

Damascus said the SDF’s assertion that it has no military presence inside Aleppo “amounts to an explicit acknowledgement that it bears no security or military role in the city,” reinforcing that responsibility for maintaining security and protecting residents rests exclusively with the Syrian state.

The government stressed that protecting all citizens – including Kurdish citizens – “is a fixed national and legal responsibility exercised without discrimination,” rejecting attempts to portray security measures as targeting a specific community.

It said those displaced from areas of tension were civilian residents only, all of whom are Kurdish citizens who left their neighborhoods out of fear of escalation and sought refuge in areas under state control – a move the government said demonstrates trust in the state’s ability to provide protection and refutes claims of targeted threats against them.

Measures taken around the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods are “aimed solely at preserving security and preventing armed activity inside residential areas or their use as leverage against the city”, while ensuring civilian safety and the protection of property, the statement added.

Damascus renewed its call for the withdrawal of armed groups from both neighborhoods and urged the full neutralization of civilians from political or media disputes, rejecting inflammatory rhetoric that could fuel tensions and destabilize Aleppo.

“Any approach to the situation in Aleppo must be grounded in state sovereignty and territorial unity and must guarantee the security and dignity of all citizens without exception,” the government said.

The SDF earlier claimed that they “have no military presence in the city of Aleppo,” alleging they withdrew “openly and publicly in front of media outlets under a clear agreement.” The group added that it had handed over the security file in Aleppo to internal security forces.

The statements came amid heightened tensions and displacements in parts of Aleppo as the SDF renewed shelling of residential neighborhoods in Aleppo for the second day on Wednesday, a day after at least five people were killed and 27 others injured in a series of attacks by the group in Aleppo since Tuesday.

The Syrian army earlier said that military positions of the SDF in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods are “legitimate targets” following the group’s escalation and “massacres” in the province.

On March 10, 2025, 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.