On Monday, October 6, 2025, the forces of the interim authority in Syria (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) launched an intensive military attack on the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. This attack followed a suffocating siege imposed by the forces since the previous day, Sunday, by closing all entrances and exits of the two neighborhoods. The military operations included bombardment by drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), artillery targeting, attempts to storm the neighborhoods using heavy vehicles, and the random firing of live ammunition and gas bombs at civilian protesters, resulting in casualties and property destruction. The violent clashes ended after several hours with the attacking forces withdrawing from the periphery of the two neighborhoods and news of a ceasefire agreement being exchanged.
Details of Key Information:
Perpetrator of the Attack: Forces of the interim authority in Syria (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham).
Victim/Target Area: Kurdish civilians and properties in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, northern Syria.
Chronological Sequence of Events and Actions:
Imposition of the Siege: Closure of all entrances and exits of the two neighborhoods on Sunday.
Suppression of Protests: Random firing of tear gas canisters and live ammunition at civilian protesters demonstrating against the siege.
Attempted Storming: Use of tanks and armored vehicles from four directions accompanied by intense gunfire.
Commencement of the Attack: Execution of attacks using drones (UAVs) and infiltration attempts.
Defensive Response: Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) responding to the sources of fire, leading to clashes with light and medium weapons.
Escalation: Use of suicide drones causing material damage, and a complete cutoff of internet and communication networks.
Casualties and Injuries in the Two Neighborhoods: A number of civilians were run over during the advance of vehicles, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Casualties and Injuries in Other Neighborhoods of Aleppo: Filmed footage showed deaths and injuries in other neighborhoods of Aleppo as a result of falling shells. Other footage showed fighters from Darat Izza in the Aleppo countryside firing shells at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood from a long distance.
Mortar Bombardment: Targeting the two neighborhoods with mortar shells.
End of Clashes: A cautious calm, with the announcement by the Defense Minister of the interim authority, Murahfem Abu Qasrah, of his meeting with the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazlum Abdi, in the capital Damascus on October 7, 2025. They agreed on a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts and military deployment points in northern and northeastern Syria, with the implementation of this agreement to begin immediately.
Scenes of Kurdish protesters in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo, northern Syria.
Fighters from the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group in Darat Izza in the Aleppo countryside launch shells on the Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in the city of Aleppo. #syria
