Northern Aleppo’s Kurdish Districts Face 'Extermination-Style' Assaults, Report Warns

07-01-2026 09:18

Peregraf - The Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in northern Aleppo are facing intense, systematic attacks by Turkish-backed armed factions, according to a report released today by the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR). The DFR is the diplomatic arm of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the civil governing body whose military forces are known internationally as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The report details civilian deaths, dozens of injuries, and a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in these enclaves. The two neighborhoods are home to more than 500,000 residents—including approximately 55,000 Kurdish families and thousands of families displaced from Afrin. The AANES report emphasizes that these areas are being targeted despite the absence of any heavy military presence; only local internal security forces (Asayish) are stationed there to maintain civil order.

Strategic Importance and Geography
Sheikh Maqsoud occupies a strategic height in northern Aleppo, overlooking the Layramoun industrial zone, the Youth Housing complex (Sakan al-Shababi), and the vital Castello Road. Ashrafiyeh serves as an urban extension to its southwest. Due to this elevated topography, the neighborhoods are frequent targets during military escalations as they control vital supply routes and axes within the city.

Turkish-Backed Factions Identified
The report identifies several factions operating under the "Ministry of Defense" of the Syrian Interim Government (often associated with the Syrian National Army) as the perpetrators. These groups have utilized tanks, mortars, rocket launchers (Grad/Katyusha), and suicide FPV drones. Key units involved include:

The 60th Division: Led by Awad al-Jassim (Abu Qutaiba al-Manbiji), a former HTS commander. His deputy is identified as Mudar Najjar.
The 76th Division (Al-Hamzat): Led by Sayf Balud. This faction and its leader are under U.S. and U.K. sanctions (the latter as of late 2025).
The 72nd Division: Composed of several Turkish-backed groups and led by a former HTS commander known as "Khattab al-Albani."
The 80th Division: Led by Khalid al-Omar, a defected Syrian army officer.

A “Suffocating Siege”
Beyond direct violence, the report details a "suffocating siege" imposed on the districts. Blocked roads have cut off the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies. Water and electricity have been severed, and the severe fuel shortage has paralyzed the only hospital in the area, placing the lives of the wounded and chronically ill at risk.

Documented Violations and Casualties
The report highlights a timeline of increasing aggression:
Dec 22, 2025: An attack on an Asayish (AANES Internal Security) checkpoint at the Shikhan Roundabout killed 5 people and injured 23. This was followed by a total blackout of utilities.
Dec 28, 2025: Two university students were kidnapped by faction members while returning from classes.
Jan 6, 2026: A massive assault involving a 60-tank convoy and suicide drones targeted residential buildings. This escalation killed at least 6 civilians and wounded 44 others.

Names of the Deceased (Jan 6 Shelling):
1. Fatima Hamada (41)
2. Masoud Faeq Abdo (30)
3. Khorshid Omar (13)
4. Sham Dallo (3)
5. Hassan Mohammed Hassan (42)
6. One unidentified woman

Calls for Accountability
The Department of Foreign Relations, acting on behalf of the AANES, has categorized these actions as potential war crimes. The report concludes with an urgent plea to the international community and humanitarian organizations to intervene, lift the siege, and protect the civilian population from further displacement and slaughter.