ISTANBUL
The terrorist group YPG/SDF carried out 360 attacks on neighborhoods in the northern city of Aleppo over the past week, a top Syrian official said Saturday.
YPG/SDF terrorists carried out the attacks in Aleppo since the latest round of negotiations between the group and the Syrian government about a week ago, Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa told a press conference in Aleppo alongside Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat and attended by Anadolu.
He added that the Syrian Army’s operation in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods was “professional and precise,” aimed at protecting civilians and ensuring their safety.
Al-Mustafa said the Syrian state prefers “political and negotiated solutions” to resolve disputes but accused the SDF of failing to abide by agreements reached with the government.
He stressed that Syria is working to build a state based on citizenship, adding that the country’s sovereignty and independence are “not subject to negotiation.”
Securing needs of displaced civilians
For her part, Kabawat said the government is working to meet the needs of displaced civilians in Aleppo’s shelters in coordination with local and civil society organizations.
She called on Syrians to stand united and reject hate speech and incitement, stressing that Syria’s Kurdish component is an integral part of the Syrian people.
Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib said life has begun to gradually return to normal in the city’s Ashrafieh and Bani Zaid neighborhoods, adding that the same is likely to happen in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood starting Sunday.
He said SDF attacks prompted the Syrian Army to take measures to restore security in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, noting that once security operations concluded, public service institutions began entering the neighborhoods in coordination with the army.
Al-Gharib added that efforts are underway to prepare schools to resume classes and to reactivate health centers in Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud.
SDF violations in Aleppo
The SDF committed a series of grave violations of international and humanitarian law in Aleppo in recent days, a source at Syria’s Interior Ministry told Al-Ikhbariya TV.
The violations included indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods in the city, which terrorized civilians and caused casualties, according to the sources.
The group also planted landmines in populated civilian areas and neighborhoods, posing a continued threat to civilians even after SDF fighters withdrew from some districts, it added.
The Interior Ministry source noted that SDF elements used civilians as human shields, positioning artillery, rocket launchers and drone platforms between residential homes. SDF members also dug tunnels beneath houses and public service facilities, using them as depots to store weapons and ammunition.
Among the violations, the source said, was the use of suicide attackers who detonated themselves, tactics the ministry said recall methods used by the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group.
“These practices amount to war crimes under international and humanitarian law,” the source said.
Earlier, the Syrian Army’s Operations Command announced a halt to all military operations inside Sheikh Maqsoud following an escalation with the YPG/SDF terror group.
Since Tuesday, the SDF has shelled residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo.
The attacks have killed nine people and wounded 55 others, and triggered the displacement of about 165,000 residents from Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud.
Last 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.
But authorities said that in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.
The government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.