Syrian Army and Kurdish Forces Clash in Aleppo, Forcing 140,000 to Flee

Syrian Army and Kurdish Forces Clash in Aleppo, Forcing 140,000 to Flee A surge of fighting between the Syrian national army and Kurdish-led forces has shattered a fragile calm in Aleppo, triggering a mass civilian exodus and prompting urgent international mediation efforts. Intense clashes erupted this week in the northern city, particularly in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid [32527][45172]. The violence, involving heavy shelling, forced the closure of Aleppo's airport, schools, and government buildings [45172]. The Syrian army distributed evacuation maps to civilians in several neighborhoods, urging them to leave for their safety [44681]. The fighting has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 140,000 people from their homes [45816]. Local sources describe thousands of families fleeing affected areas under fire, adding to the millions already displaced by Syria's long war [45588][45173]. The clashes pit the Syrian government forces against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition that controls large parts of northeastern Syria [45585][43634]. Both sides have blamed each other for initiating the violence [44512][44088]. The deadliest fighting in over six months [45816] marks a dangerous escalation in long-running tensions over control and integration of Kurdish-held areas into the state [33236][44512]. Following three days of hostilities, the Syrian government announced a ceasefire. The truce, which began in the early hours of Thursday, includes terms for Kurdish fighters to withdraw from the contested Aleppo neighborhoods with their light weapons and receive safe passage to northeast Syria [45816]. A United States envoy has welcomed the pause in fighting [45816]. The breakdown of the ceasefire and subsequent displacement underscores the fragile and unresolved nature of the conflict within Syria's civil war, threatening to unravel relative stability in the region [44512][45173]. Syria's Aleppo Truce Shatters, Thousands Flee as U.S. Mediates Aleppo Exodus: Fighting Erupts as Syria Peace Talks Fail Fresh Clashes Erupt Between Syrian Army and Kurdish Forces Syrian Army and US-Backed Forces Clash in Aleppo Syrian Army Advances on Aleppo, Sparking Mass Exodus Syrian Forces and Kurds Clash, Then Halt Fire After Deadly Fighting Syrian Army Distributes Evacuation Maps in Aleppo Amid Clashes Deadly Clashes in Aleppo as Turkey Urges Kurdish Integration Syria's Kurds and Army Clash, Risking Major War Syria Announces Aleppo Ceasefire After Clashes Displace 140,000 Syria's Aleppo: Army Strikes Kurds, Thousands Flee Clashes Erupt Between Kurdish Forces and Syrian Army in Aleppo SDF Advances in Aleppo Spark Civilian Exodus