ALEPPO: Fighting intensified on Thursday between Syrian government troops and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, with a fierce exchange of fire extending into the night and rescue workers scrambling to put out fires ignited by the shelling.
Plumes of smoke rose above the city skyline at dusk and the boom of artillery could be heard across Aleppo as the Kurdish fighters tried to repel the troops’ advance and cling on to neighborhoods under their control.
The fighting, which erupted on Tuesday, has driven more than 140,000 people from their homes and left at least seven civilians dead, according to Syrian authorities.
The deadly stand-off between Damascus and Kurdish authorities who have resisted integrating into the central government is a major challenge for Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who has pledged to unite the country after 14 years of civil war.
STALLED TALKS ON CEASEFIRE
Syria’s army gave a window on Thursday for residents to evacuate the neighborhoods held by Kurdish forces in Aleppo before launching new strikes there. It released more than seven maps identifying areas it said would be targeted and announced a curfew in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh from 3 p.m. (1200 GMT).
The United States on Thursday called for an end to clashes between government troops and Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, saying it was gravely concerned by the situation.
Tom Barrack, Trump’s special envoy for Syria, said the United States and its allies were ready to help efforts to de-escalate tensions between government troops and Kurdish forces, which include the Syrian Democratic Forces group.
SDF head Mazloum Abdi said the government forces’ strikes and deployment of tanks had undermined “the chances of reaching understandings, create conditions for dangerous demographic changes, and expose civilians trapped in the two neighborhoods to the risk of massacres.”
Two government officials told Reuters that negotiations were underway over the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the city.
In a statement, the Syrian government said stability could not be achieved with weapons outside the authority of the state, adding the only solution was return of government control to “preserve the unity of Syria.”
Turkiye said it stood ready to help Syria if asked.
“The attacks carried out against civilians in Aleppo have unfortunately exacerbated concerns about the true intentions of the SDF and created a pessimistic picture regarding peace efforts,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a joint press conference with his Omani counterpart on Thursday.
“The SDF’s insistence on protecting what it has at all costs is the biggest obstacle to achieving peace and stability in Syria,” Fidan added.
Turkiye views the US-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organization and has warned of military action if the group does not honor the integration agreement.
