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SDF intimidates residents in Aleppo, uses civilians as human shields, Syrian Army says

The Syrian Army accused the YPG/SDF of using civilians as human shields on Friday, pointing out that the group is intimidating residents in an Aleppo neighborhood to cover their attacks on military forces.

Anadolu Agency WORLD
Published January 09,2026
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The Syrian Army accused the terrorist organization YPG/SDF on Friday of intimidating residents in an Aleppo neighborhood and using civilians as human shields while carrying out attacks against military and security forces.

Army reconnaissance drones monitored SDF fighters, along with elements linked to the terrorist group, closing roads, terrorizing residents, and preventing them from leaving the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, a military source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The source said the measures were aimed at using civilians as "human shields during attacks targeting the Syrian Army and internal security forces."

An intelligence source told Alikhbariya TV that members of the group assaulted dozens of families who attempted to leave the neighborhood.

The YPG terrorists also killed four Kurdish youths who refused orders to join fighting against the Syrian state, the source added.

They set fire to multiple civilian homes belonging to families who had already left the neighborhood, the source said, noting the acts were carried out with the assistance and collusion of SDF elements.

In related incidents, Alikhbariya reported that an SDF cell directly targeted an ambulance, wounding a paramedic. It also attacked a security patrol near al-Rahman Mosque on Faisal Street in Aleppo.

The outlet said a SDF suicide drone also struck a residential building in the New Aleppo district, causing property damage. No casualties were reported.

The SDF targeted multiple civilian and security sites across Aleppo, using Iranian-made drones, resulting in injuries and property damage, a military source told the channel.

Since Tuesday, the SDF has shelled residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, and Syrian army positions in Aleppo. The attacks have killed nine people and wounded 55 others and triggered the displacement of about 165,000 residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods.

On March 10, 2025, 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.

Authorities said in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.

The government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.