Rescue Teams Reach Devastated Aleppo Area Following Intense Clashes
For the first time in days, a fragile calm has settled over contested neighborhoods in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, allowing first responders to reach devastated areas following intense clashes. The fighting, which erupted on Tuesday, represents the most severe violence since the fall of the previous government in late 2024.
The conflict centered on the predominantly Kurdish districts of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh, and Bani Zaid. It stemmed from a stalled effort to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a key U.S.-backed group in the fight against Daesh—into the national army. Syrian government forces have since secured control of Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
The human cost has been severe. At least 23 people lost their lives during the five days of violence, which featured heavy shelling and drone strikes. The clashes displaced more than 140,000 residents, adding to Syria’s profound humanitarian crisis.
On Sunday, government forces escorted journalists through the scarred neighborhoods, showcasing extensive damage. They pointed to the shelled Khalid Al-Fajer Hospital and a targeted SDF security position. The SDF, in turn, has accused government forces of striking the hospital “dozens of times” before patients could be evacuated, while Damascus alleges the Kurdish-led group used civilian facilities for military purposes.
The SDF announced a “partial ceasefire” after evacuating its wounded and civilians from Sheikh Maqsoud, with fighters withdrawing to northeastern Syria. However, the group vowed to continue its resistance.
In the eerie quiet of the battered streets, rescue workers from the Syrian Red Crescent and Syrian Civil Defense began their critical work. They surveyed collapsed buildings and charred vehicles while working to disarm improvised mines reportedly left behind as booby traps. Residents who fled are not yet permitted to return until the area is deemed safe.
“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” resident Ahmad Shaikho told The Associated Press. Another displaced resident, Hoda Alnasiri, pleaded, “I want to go back to my home, I beg you”—a heartbreaking echo of the displacement suffered by millions throughout Syria’s long war.
The United Nations is now working to organize aid convoys to deliver food, fuel, blankets, and other essential supplies to those affected. As clearance operations continue and families wait in uncertainty, the shattered streets of Aleppo stand as a stark reminder of a conflict that, even in moments of quiet, is far from over.
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