Civilian injuries in Syria's Aleppo rise to 27 amid SDF shelling of residential areas since Tuesday

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - The number of civilians injured in shelling on residential neighborhoods of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo by the PKK/YPG terror group, operating under the name of SDF, has risen to 27 since Tuesday, according to a local hospital official.

Abdel Qader Farah, director of Al-Razi Hospital in Aleppo, told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) Wednesday that they were injured as a result of SDF shelling that targeted civilian areas in the city.

In separate statements carried by SANA, the Syrian Defense Ministry said its reconnaissance units detected SDF forces planting explosives on main and secondary roads in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, as well as rigging public and private objects in the streets.

The ministry also accused SDF of preventing hundreds of residents from leaving the two neighborhoods by firing shots around them and intimidating civilians, while continuing to shell Aleppo neighborhoods with mortar fire and heavy and medium machine guns, causing further damage to civilians and public and private property.

- Airport suspension extended

Amid the security developments, the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced in a statement the extension of flight suspensions to and from Aleppo International Airport until 11 pm local time (2000GMT) on Thursday.

The authority said scheduled flights will continue to be diverted to Damascus International Airport until technical and security assessments are completed in coordination with relevant agencies.

It described the measure as precautionary and temporary, urging passengers to follow updates through their airlines.

On Tuesday, the authority temporarily suspended flights to and from Aleppo International Airport for 24 hours amid attacks by SDF.

The reports come amid heightened tensions and displacements in parts of Aleppo as the SDF renewed shelling of residential neighborhoods in Aleppo for the second day on Wednesday morning, a day after at least five people were killed and 16 others injured in a series of attacks by the group in Aleppo on Tuesday.

The Syrian army said Wednesday that military positions of the SDF in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods are “legitimate targets” following the group’s escalation and “massacres” in the province.

On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

Syrian authorities say that in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.