KCK says US may have approved ‘assault’ on Aleppo’s Kurdish quarters

13-01-2026
Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organization of Kurdish parties, said Tuesday that the assault by the Islamist-led interim authorities in Damascus on Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods may have occurred with the “approval of the US and international powers.”

Deadly clashes erupted last week in Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods after the Syrian Arab Army and its allied armed factions launched a large-scale operation to seize Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood from the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish).

The violence left at least 82 people dead, including 43 civilians, according to a Sunday report by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), and displaced approximately 150,000 others, the Erbil-based Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) told Rudaw on Saturday.

In a statement, the KCK said the attack followed meetings involving the US, Israel, and Syria, and coincided with what it described as an agreement to cede southern Damascus to Tel Aviv. The bloc claimed this indicates that “the approval of the US and international powers in the region was obtained, or that their silence was ensured.”

Damascus and Tel Aviv resumed negotiations last week after a four-month pause in Washington-mediated talks aimed at de-escalating tensions along their shared border. Syrian state media confirmed that the talks involved senior diplomatic and intelligence officials and noted that they addressed the establishment of a coordination cell between the two sides.

“The attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo and the approach and attitude of state officials toward our party constitute an attempt to sabotage the peace and democratic society process,” the statement read, referring to ongoing peace efforts between Ankara and the now-dissolved Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - which rebranded as the Kurdistan Freedom Movement in May and formerly spearheaded the KCK.

The KCK further noted that the attacks on Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood were aimed to “de-kurdify them” and were driven by “anti-Kurdish sentiment” and “aim to dismantle the autonomous democratic system established by the Kurdish people [in northeast Syria - Rojava] alongside Arabs, Syriacs, and other peoples throughout Syria,” the bloc said.

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) governs Rojava as a decentralized, multi-ethnic civil administration overseeing local governance, security, and public services.

An internationally mediated ceasefire came into effect on Sunday. Despite this, videos circulated online showing Damascus-affiliated militants rounding up, arresting, and verbally abusing Kurdish civilians. Social media users have also shared images and videos of relatives who they say have gone missing since the violence began.

Ilham Ehmed described the attacks, disclosed documents, demanded an independent investigation

Îlham Ehmed, Co-Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, explained with documents how the attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo took place, the war crimes committed and which forces participated.


ANF
NEWS CENTER
Thursday, January 15, 2026, 11:20 AM


Ilham Ehmed, Co-Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, made a detailed statement on the attacks in Aleppo.

Ilham Ehmed explained in detail which forces participated in the attacks on three neighborhoods where more than 500 thousand civilians live and the crimes committed.

7 PEOPLE FROM MY FAMILY WERE KILLED BY DRONE

Ilham Ehmed also announced at a press conference on Zoom that 7 people from his own family were shot and killed by a drone on a bus in the Şêxmeqsûd neighborhood: "Only 7 people from my family have lost their lives in Sheikh Maqsoud so far. They were shot with a drone while I was in a bus and 7 people from my family died there. Apart from this, the number of civilians who have lost their lives so far is very high. People's homes were looted. The bodies of female fighters are thrown down from high places."

THEY ATTACKED THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE 500 THOUSAND CIVILIANS LIVE

The text shared with the signature of İlham Ehmed is as follows:

Since December 23, 2025, the Syrian government and its forces have been imposing a comprehensive siege on the neighborhoods of Şêxmeqsûd, Eşrefiyê and Banî Zêd in the city of Aleppo. More than 500,000 civilians live in these neighborhoods, including about 55,000 Kurdish families, as well as thousands of Kurds forcibly displaced from the Afrin region occupied by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) groups in 2018.

This siege is a continuation of long-standing efforts to marginalize and isolate the Kurdish population of northern Syria, representing the continuation of collective punishment and ethnic targeting practices that have been documented since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. These neighborhoods had remained relatively stable compared to other war-torn areas until this new military escalation.

Seven access roads to Kurdish neighborhoods were also blocked by Defense Ministry checkpoints, and only one road was left open intermittently under heavy military control. This blockade severely restricted the entry of essential items such as food, medicine, fuel, and humanitarian aid, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The siege violates the principles of international humanitarian law by depriving hundreds of thousands of civilians of their right to basic livelihoods and health services, and amounts to collective punishment.

Despite repeated communications and official meetings with representatives of the Syrian government demanding that the siege be lifted or that basic necessities be allowed into place, no response or assistance has been provided. This further exacerbated civilian suffering and increased the risk of starvation and disease.

BEGINNING OF THE ATTACKS

On January 6, 2026, groups loyal to the Damascus government launched a large-scale military offensive on the neighborhoods of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefiyê. Among the units participating in the attack were the 60th, 62nd, 72nd and 86th Brigades of the Syrian Army. Divisions took part. These units were supplemented by armored vehicles, heavy artillery units, Grad and Katyusha rocket launchers, mortars, DShK heavy machine guns and suicide drones.

The attack deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and residential areas, clearly violating the law of armed conflict, which requires a distinction between military and civilian targets. This is the first time suicide drones have been used against civilian population centers, marking a strategy to terrorize civilians and break their resistance.

The attack began with suicide drone attacks targeting civilian areas, followed by indiscriminate shelling of residential areas inhabited by unarmed civilians. Tanks and armored vehicles moved towards Kurdish neighborhoods, while civilians in neighboring areas were forcibly evicted from their homes. Snipers were deployed in high-rise buildings surrounding neighborhoods.

Despite the dense civilian population, the Syrian Ministry of Defense declared the Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefiyê neighborhoods as 'military zones'. Following this identification, heavy weapons were used in residential areas and indiscriminate shelling was carried out. This has raised serious concerns about its use to justify violations of the principle of segregation and the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law.

On January 8, the attack intensified with the involvement of hardline jihadist groups such as Asaib al-Hamra (Red Bands), which had previously been affiliated with al-Qaeda. Important reinforcements came from Idlib and other provinces. Turkish-backed SNA groups participated in the operation, while Turkish reconnaissance drones (Bayraktar) provided aerial surveillance and intelligence support. From the morning of January 8, the operations were led by the Chief of Staff of the Syrian Army, Major General Ali al-Naasan.

The involvement of the Syrian army's regular contingents, as well as extremist groups, and the complicity of foreign actors demonstrate the complexity of alliances that perpetuate violations and war crimes in the region. The attack was carried out with intense shelling using tanks, heavy artillery weapons, rocket systems, mortars and multiple suicide drones carrying high-explosive charges, causing widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

LAND ATTACKS AND TARGETING OF MEDICAL FACILITIES

After more than twelve hours of continuous bombardment, Syrian army factions launched coordinated ground offensives on Kurdish neighborhoods on January 7 at around 21:00 and advanced along the three main axes.

On January 8, the Osman Hospital in Ashrafiyê and the Xalid Fecir Hospital, the only functional hospital in Şêxmeqsûd, were repeatedly bombed. The attacks caused severe structural damage and Xalid Fajir Hospital was completely unusable with injured civilians, patients and medical staff still inside. Several health workers were killed, which is a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Osman Hospital and Xalid Fajir Hospital were repeatedly hit, resulting in severe structural damage, and Xalid Fajir Hospital became unusable while patients and medical staff were inside. Medical facilities are protected under the Geneva Conventions, and attacks on these facilities may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

THE OCCUPATION OF ASHRAFIYE AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE ATTACKS ON ŞÊXMEQSUD

Between January 9 and 10, Ashrafiyê was completely occupied by the attacking forces. Military operations then concentrated on Şêxmedsûd. Civilians, including the wounded, children, the elderly and whole families, remained trapped in the hospital, despite the fact that Xalid Fajir Hospital was out of service. The continued bombardments have led to new casualties among civilians and medical personnel. The hospital remained the last refuge for civilians who could not escape. Civilians, including the wounded, children and the elderly, were trapped in and around Xalid Fajir Hospital as shelling continued. International humanitarian law prohibits using civilians and medical facilities in a manner that exposes them to attack, and such behavior may be considered serious violations.

CEASEFIRE AND FORCED EVACUATION

Following the agreement reached on the evening of January 10 with the mediation of international actors, the ceasefire came into force in the early morning of January 11. The agreement facilitated the evacuation of the dead, wounded civilians and the remaining members of the Internal Security Forces from Shêxmeqsûd to areas in northeastern Syria. Then the clashes ended and the Internal Security Forces withdrew from the neighborhood.

While the ceasefire provided temporary relief, the long-term humanitarian and political consequences remain a major concern.

HUMANITARIAN DISASTER

According to local administrative records and documents that have not yet been completed, in the attacks that took place between January 6-10:

a) 47 civilians, including women, children and the elderly, were killed.

b) 133 civilians were injured.

c) At least 276 civilians have disappeared, many of whom are thought to have been arbitrarily detained.

Human rights organizations warn that these figures likely underestimate the actual number of casualties due to restricted access, ongoing detentions and the critical condition of many injured.

The attacks were followed by a mass exodus, with estimates of 148,000 to 155,000 Kurdish civilians being forcibly displaced from the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo.

FOREIGN ELEMENTS AND DOCUMENTED WAR CRIMES

Foreign fighters played a documented role in the attacks, as confirmed by photos and videos published by the perpetrators themselves. This evidence confirms that serious violations have been committed that may constitute war crimes.

DOCUMENTED CASES:

All visual and witness statements referenced above have been archived, timestamped, and retained to ensure the integrity of the evidence.

*Fighters wearing ISIS emblems who openly participated in the attacks on Şêxmesûd and Eşrefiyê during live media broadcasts.

*Turkish citizen Khalil Yavuz, a member of the Turkish Kurds League, is recorded as boasting about the siege and threatening civilians with death.

*Egyptian citizen Ahmed Mansour was filmed participating in the murder and dismemberment of a female member of the Internal Security Forces. Mansour is also alleged to have been involved in previous massacres committed off the coast of Syria and in Suwayda.

*Samit Dagol (Abdul Samad), a Turkish citizen wanted for links to ISIS and al-Qaeda, posed as a journalist affiliated with Asaib al-Hamra during the attacks.

*Members of the Turkish Kurds Union kidnap Kurdish youths and there are reasonable fears that these young people will be extrajudicially executed.

OTHER DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS:

* Use of tanks and heavy weapons in densely populated residential areas near Xalid Fajir Hospital

* Direct targeting of the Great Mosque in Şêxmedsûd under false pretexts.

* Dragging, dismembering and destroying corpses accompanied by racist and sectarian insults

*Abuse and humiliation of detained civilians, including families and the elderly

*Testimonies of civilian witnesses describing widespread terror, looting and abuse during the five-day attack

POST-CEASEFIRE CONDITIONS

Despite the ceasefire, Kurdish neighborhoods remain under de facto siege. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, harassment and restrictions on movement continue unabated. Humanitarian access remains severely limited, and the presence of extremist militias integrated into state security structures poses a constant threat to civilian security.

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AND CALL FOR ACTION

The international community should urgently deploy independent observers to oversee the ceasefire and prevent further violations. Diplomatic recognition and assistance to Syria must be conditioned on the verified protection and political participation of Kurds and other minorities. The March 10 agreement, which protects Kurdish rights, must be fully implemented and extremist militias must be removed from the state security forces. Inclusive political participation of all Syrian communities is essential to achieving lasting peace.