UPDATE - SDF escalates attacks in Syria’s Aleppo, shells residential neighborhoods for 3rd day

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Laith Aljnaidi and Lina Altawell

DAMASCUS / ISTANBUL (AA) - The PKK/YPG terrorist group operating under the name of SDF shelled residential neighborhoods in Aleppo in northern Syria for the third consecutive day on Thursday, Syrian media reported.

The Alikhbariyah TV said SDF forces targeted the Lairamoun area and the Shihan traffic circle in the city using machine-gun fire.

The shelling was the latest SDF attacks in Aleppo, where at least six people were killed and 39 others injured since Tuesday.

The broadcaster said civil defense teams and internal security forces continued to evacuate civilians from the Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods through Al-Zohour Street due to the SDF violations.

According to Syrian figures, more than 3,000 civilians have been displaced from their areas over the SDF attacks.

The violence has forced the provincial administration in Aleppo to extend the suspension of classes at public and private schools and universities in the city on Thursday.

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.

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, after 24 years in power.