First responders entered a contested Aleppo neighborhood after several days of intense clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led SDF fighters. At least 23 people were killed and more than 140,000 displaced amid shelling and drone strikes. The SDF says it evacuated civilians and the wounded to northeastern Syria and described the pause as a partial ceasefire. UN convoys are attempting to deliver urgent aid while teams work to clear improvised mines before residents can return.
First Responders Enter Devastated Aleppo Neighborhood After Days Of Fierce Clashes
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in northern Aleppo after several days of fierce clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters, state media and witnesses said. Syrian state outlets reported that government troops were deployed in large numbers as the fighting subsided.
A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
What Happened
Clashes began Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish districts of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid following a breakdown in talks over how to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the national army. Government security forces said they took control of Achrafieh and Bani Zaid; Kurdish fighters later withdrew from Sheikh Maqsoud toward northeastern Syria, an area under SDF control.
People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Human Toll And Displacement
The fighting left at least 23 people dead over five days and displaced more than 140,000 residents amid heavy shelling and reported drone strikes. Residents described streets lined with burned-out cars and badly damaged residential buildings. Many who fled are not yet allowed to return as clearance operations continue.
Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Claims And Counterclaims
The SDF accused government forces of striking the Khalid al-Fajer Hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus denied those claims and accused the Kurdish-led group of using civilian facilities, including hospitals, as military positions. Government security forces also escorted journalists through the damaged district to show targeted sites.
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Aid, Safety And Clearance Efforts
The United Nations said it was trying to send additional convoys carrying food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies to affected neighborhoods. Syrian Civil Defense teams have been working to disarm improvised explosive devices that authorities said were left as booby traps. Residents will not be allowed to return until teams finish clearing mines and other hazards.
Voices From The Ground
Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF checkpoints had prevented them from passing through to leave earlier in the fighting. “We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. Hoda Alnasiri, another displaced resident, pleaded, “I want to go back to my home, I beg you.”
Journalistic reports were supplemented by contributions from Associated Press reporter Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut.
Help us improve.
