Aleppo clashes leave at least nine dead, residents live in fear

At least nine people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday during fighting in Aleppo, northern Syria, state media reported. The government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are trading blame for the violence.

The clashes are the latest to break out in Aleppo as officials scramble to advance a deal to address Syria's deepest remaining fracture by merging the U.S.-backed SDF with the central government.

The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won during 14 years of war, which left it with control of Islamic State prisons and oil resources in a country that remains fragile just over a year after the ouster of ex-President Bashar al-Assad.

Analysts warn that failing to integrate the SDF into Syria’s army could spark further violence and potentially draw in Türkiye, which has threatened military action against Kurdish fighters it considers “terrorists.”

State news agency SANA reported that three of the dead were civilians, while the fourth was a soldier. The Syrian Ministry of Defence accused the SDF of attacking army positions and residential areas in Aleppo, while the SDF denied responsibility, claiming the casualties were caused by indiscriminate artillery and missile fire from factions aligned with the Damascus government.

Local official Nuri Sheikho told  that clashes resumed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods after a brief pause, with communication ongoing with the Damascus government to halt the violence. He said residents were fearful of widespread killings and accused the government of using rockets, artillery shells, and tanks.

Aleppo governor Azzam al-Gharib told state-owned Ekhbariya TV that schools, universities, and government offices would suspend all activities on Wednesday due to the situation.

The agreement to integrate Kurdish forces was meant to be implemented by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited, with each side accusing the other of stalling or acting in bad faith.

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Syrian government forces and the SDF had agreed to de-escalate tensions following clashes in late December.

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