Attack on Kurdish Enclaves: What Comes Next?

On March 10, 2025, al-Jolani’s regime surprisingly concluded an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The eight key points were meant to secure the rights of all Syrians, explicitly recognized the Kurdish community, and anchored a ceasefire between HTS militias, the so-called Syrian Army, and the SDF. Rojava’s civilian and military structures are to be integrated into the state administration. Displaced persons are to return under protection.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control parts of Aleppo. Their presence is limited to two districts: Sheikh Maksud and Ashrafiyah. These districts have been under Kurdish control since 2012. They are inhabited predominantly by Kurds. Several hundred thousand people live in these neighborhoods. Many Kurds were displaced from Afrin in 2018 when Turkey intervened there. Christians and Armenians have also sought refuge in these districts.

The agreement, signed on March 10, 2025, between SDF commander Mazlum Abdi and ruler al-Jolani, was a major political milestone for Syria. It provides for the full integration of the SDF as an independent division into Syria’s state institutions. Furthermore, it established a nationwide ceasefire.

SDF Withdrawal in April 2025

On April 4, 2025, the first SDF convoys left the Kurdish districts in Aleppo. Around 500 fighters withdrew with their weapons. They were accompanied by the General Security Forces and moved to northeastern Syria. Security responsibility for Sheikh Maksud and Ashrafiyah was handed over to the Asayîş as planned. This group is the security force of the AANES.

Role of the Asayîş

The Asayîş are the security forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Their duties range from police work to counter-terrorism. In the two Aleppo districts, fewer than 1,000 Asayîş personnel are stationed. According to the April agreement, these forces are to ensure security in the districts. The Syrian Interior Ministry takes over the checkpoints.[1]

Attacks on the Kurdish Enclaves

First Attack: What Happened?

On October 6, 2025, an unexpected escalation occurred. The al-Jolani troops blocked all streets and intersections leading to Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maksud. This sudden measure led to massive traffic jams and chaotic conditions. Within a short time, large crowds gathered in the affected area. The residents were surprised, as there was no explanation for the blockade. Therefore, the crowds initially dispersed slowly. Subsequently, however, widespread protests against the closure of the intersections erupted.

During the night, the so-called Defense Ministry sent additional soldiers and heavy equipment into the two districts. At the same time, new blockades were erected around Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maksud. All side streets were sealed off. Traffic was only possible via the main road, which was secured with barriers.

The Asayîş, belonging to the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria, issued a statement on Monday (October 6). In October 2025, the government announced that it had repelled a major attack by the jihadist regime in the Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maksud districts of Aleppo.

Second Attack: What Happened?

On December 22, 2025, the al-Jolani troops surprisingly withdrew from a checkpoint at the entrance of the Sheikh Maksud district. Immediately afterwards, a sudden artillery attack on the districts occurred. However, the Asayîş forces were able to successfully repel this attack.

Arabic media channels such as “Al Jazeera” and “Al Arabiya” play an important role here. They often report deliberately against the Kurds and support the narratives of the jihadist regime. In their broadcasts, they show how heavy equipment is used against civilians.

Third Attack: Current Situation?

Since January 6, 2026, al-Jolani troops have been attacking the two city districts. Heavy artillery is being used against the civilian population.

The Internal Security Forces – Aleppo (Asayîş) issued a statement regarding the attacks. It states that the attack “hit one of our checkpoints in the al-Ashrafiyya neighborhood. Our forces stopped a treacherous attack today. It came from groups belonging to the transitional government in Aleppo.” The Internal Security Forces in Aleppo also stated that they are ready and can confront any new threat or provocation.

Another statement says: “A checkpoint of the General Security was attacked near the Shihan roundabout in al-Ashrafiyya.” The factions had directed their attention at two personnel performing routine duties. “Our response was appropriate and within the right of self-defense. We acted with restraint to avoid escalation. Our aim was to protect the safety of the civilian population and the surrounding areas.”

The Internal Security Forces in Aleppo reiterated that they will respond to attacks and provocations and take all necessary measures to protect their members and the secured areas, and to ensure the safety of citizens.

On Thursday, January 8, 2026, the Asayîş reported that the number of victims had risen following the brutal attack by regime forces in Aleppo. So far, 12 dead and 64 injured civilians have been documented. Furthermore, there are still civilian casualties under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

This is the result of the ongoing bombardment with tanks, artillery, and drones targeting residential neighborhoods with a civilian population, the statement says. On the same day, the Asayîş repelled an attack and liberated two neighborhoods, al-Jalaa and al-Suyran.

Mazlum Abdi called the attacks on Sheikh Maksud and al-Ashrafiyah in Aleppo “unacceptable.” They are harmful to the existing agreements. He emphasized that work has been underway for days to stop the attacks.

On Thursday, January 8, 2026, Abdi said: “The continuation of a confrontational approach and war rhetoric is unacceptable.” He stressed that this approach has led to massacres in the past that are recognized as war crimes on the Syrian coast and in al-Suwaida. He also stated that the deployment of tanks and artillery in Aleppo’s residential areas reduces the chances for understanding. Shelling unarmed civilians, displacing them, and attacking Kurdish neighborhoods during ongoing negotiations are also unacceptable. He reaffirmed his forces’ support for the people of Sheikh Maksud and al-Ashrafiyah, saying: “For days we have been working with all parties to stop these attacks.” According to reports, 142,000 people have been displaced from both districts so far.

On January 9, 2026, Ziyad Heleb, commander of the Asayîş, declared: “We are the descendants of Sheikh Said and Seyid Rıza. We will not go to East of the Euphrates – here are our rights and our existence. We will all die as martyrs before we let ourselves be deported by buses. This scenario is unacceptable in the vocabulary of Kurdish resistance.” He added that the Syrian transitional government is integrating Salafists and IS terrorists under the banner of the Defense Ministry and using them to attack civilians. At the same time, he emphasized readiness to negotiate with the transitional government. The goal is the joint administration of all Aleppo neighborhoods through politics and peaceful dialogue. The centralism of the al-Sharaa government harms the various population groups. The Kurdish neighborhoods remember the horrors of the war against the toppled regime. Finally, the Asayîş called on all Kurdish women and men in Kurdistan and the other groups in Syria: “Fight against this war of genocide!”

“The purpose of this attack is the expulsion of the Kurds from Aleppo, and Ahmad al-Sharaa bears personal responsibility for it,” said Rami Abdulrahman on January 8, 2026, on the Kurdsat news channel. According to several sources, al-Jolani troops have arrested all young Kurds in both districts, accused them of “membership in a terrorist group,” and committed crimes against humanity.

On January 10, 2025, al-Jolani troops captured part of Ashrafiyah. They declared a unilateral ceasefire. Their goal was the defeat of the Asayîş and their withdrawal. In a statement, the Asayîş announced they would fight to the death and not withdraw. At the time of writing, the Asayîş was bravely fighting against these barbarians.

After several days of brave resistance, Sheikh Maksud fell. All 300 Asayîş fighters also died as martyrs, including Ziyad Heleb, the commander of Aleppo.

After the jihadist regime took control, ethnic cleansing began. War crimes against civilians also occurred.

Including a civilian who was arrested in the afternoon and executed shortly thereafter. Visual evidence documents a brutal, baseless killing – a clear violation of international humanitarian law and human rights.

Forensic characteristics:

• Deep neck laceration (slaughtering) with separation of tissue and blood vessels
• Severe facial and head wounds from repeated blows, including loss of an eye
• Multiple stab and slash wounds on chest and abdomen
• Massive bleeding, especially from the neck area
• This brutal murder following arbitrary arrest suggests an extrajudicial execution and may constitute a war crime.[2]

A video clip shows jihadists of the so-called Defense Ministry under al-Dschoolani intentionally throwing a Kurdish woman from the second floor of a destroyed building in Sheikh Maksud. Indiscriminate bombardment of residential areas causes significant destruction.

The perpetrators are the groups with yellow armbands, called “Asaib al-Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’a.” They belong to the 52nd Division, formerly known as the Khalid ibn al-Walid Brigades. These groups are linked to Ansar al-Tawhid and belong to the Defense Ministry of the Syrian transitional government.[3]

Participation of IS Members

An IS member is now a journalist. Samet Dagul is monitored by Russian intelligence services and the Anti-Terror Office in Washington, D.C. The reality in Syria shows that appearances can be deceptive: a terrorist can become a head of state – or a journalist.

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) officially called for mobilization on January 10, 2026, with the goal of supporting the Kurdish resistance in Sheikh Maksud. On January 10, 2025, the jihadist regime carried out a deception: it crashed a kamikaze drone into the Aleppo city hall and blamed the SDF. However, users on X identified the drone – it was originally acquired by al-Dschoolani’s troops.[4]^;[5]

Resistance: Struggle for Existence Without Surrender

Asayîş and the Kurdish population rejected any withdrawal and any surrender, despite their military weakness. They clung to their fundamental right to existence, dignity, and self-protection. Resistance is the expression of one’s own existence. For threatened communities, it is not an option but a necessary act of self-assertion.

The I melts away into the We – and only the We survives. The We stops annihilation, defends the land and the achievements, and thus protects existence. The resistance is passed on to future generations so that the We endures.

This attitude is historically rooted. It shows that giving in under pressure does not bring peace but leads to violence, exclusion, and further escalation. Al-Jolani’s first defeat in Syria occurred in 2012 in Serê Kaniyê (Ras al-Ain) by the People’s Defense Units (YPG). Organized resistance can defeat extremist forces – this example proves it.

Concrete Data of the Attack

• Asayîş fighters: 300–400
• Population of the Sheikh Maksud and Ashrafiyah districts: approx. 500,000
• Area of both districts: about 4 km² (around 25% of Aleppo’s total area)

Military forces and means of the terrorists:

• Number of fighters of the so-called Defense Ministry: about 42,000
• Number of tanks: about 110 so far
• Aviation: 4 Turkish Bayraktar drones + 68 suicide drones
• Long-range artillery: deployed from Al-Hamdaniya, the infantry school, and the surroundings of Aleppo near Al-Musallamiya
• Number of armored vehicles: very many (not precisely counted)
• Number of mortars: very many (not precisely counted)
• Number of DShK machine guns: very many (not precisely counted)

Units involved in the terrorist military operations:

• Division 60
• Division 62
• Division 72
• Division 86

Additional reinforcements:

• From the northern and southern countryside of Aleppo
• From Idlib and surroundings
• From Rastan in Homs
• From the northern countryside of Hama
• From the public security services in Aleppo and Idlib
• From the agency known as “A1 Security”
• From the Engineering Authority
• From the Counter-Terrorism Authority

What Comes Next?

On Monday, January 5, 2025, high-level representatives from Israel and Syria meet in Paris. The US is mediating talks lasting two days, aiming for a border security agreement. The al-Jolani delegation is led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama.

But these negotiations are far more than they appear at first glance: they are part of a broader geopolitical plan for the strategic realignment of Syria.

The recent attack on Aleppo was not an isolated event. Turkish drones were actively involved, underscoring that al-Jolani is incapable of action without external support. To defeat the SDF and bring northeastern Syria under control, he is dependent on Turkey. Ankara, in turn, cannot openly intervene militarily without the “green light” from the USA. Direct Turkish intervention in Syria is hardly conceivable without US consent. [6]

Al-Jolani has ceded territory in southwestern Syria to Israel, thereby accommodating Israel’s security interests. It is a political exchange: territory for Israeli support or at least tolerance. Israel’s central interest lies in securing its northern border; Syria’s internal political order is less decisive, whether democratic or authoritarian. Israel has again bombed Syrian territory relevant for potential Turkish military bases. The attacks clearly served deterrence and were directed against further Turkish expansion.

The Syrian Democratic Forces remained cautious during the attacks on Aleppo, as intervention would likely have led to a direct military conflict with Turkey. This restraint was a calculated strategic decision.

The Kurdish community recognizes that the al-Jolani regime is ideologically aligned with IS and al-Qaeda. It is being “normalized” by Tom Barrack and portrayed as politicians. They are “al-Qaeda terrorists in neckties” – an extremist ideology, modernly packaged. An example: at a first meeting in Palmyra, a Syrian soldier killed two American soldiers because they were “infidels” to him. This shows that the ideological foundations have not been overcome but concealed, and illustrates the unreliability of jihadist Damascus – for they themselves are IS.

The SDF remains the only military force in Syria that continuously and effectively fights the Islamic State. If the SDF is politically or militarily weakened, a power vacuum inevitably arises.

Such a vacuum would immediately open new opportunities for action for IS structures. The organization can regroup within days and quickly regain strength in unstable regions. Marginalizing the SDF would not only be a political setback for the Kurds but could also pose a serious threat to regional and international security.

The public narrative of “border security” is therefore too narrow. In reality, a profound geostrategic reordering is taking place in Syria:

• Israel secures its northern border.
• Turkey seeks to dismantle Kurdish autonomy.
• Al-Jolani is gaining international recognition step by step.
• The Kurds are once again at risk of being marginalized.

This constellation, however, is not sustainable.

Why No Solution is Possible Without the SDF and Kurds

Without the SDF and Kurdish forces, a stable solution for Syria is inconceivable. They are:

• the only nationwide organized force that has militarily defeated IS,
• proponents of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious societal model,
• guarantors of relative stability in northeastern Syria and the only credible alternative to jihadist power projects.

A Syria “stabilized” at the expense of the Kurds does not create peace – it merely postpones the next conflict into the future.

In parts of Syrian society, the conviction is growing that all progressive, democratic, and secular forces must clearly unite. An alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces is necessary to jointly counter the secret plans of jihadists and imperial interests.

Without the Kurds – and without the SDF – there will be no just, stable, and sustainable solution for Syria.

[1] https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2025/04/sdf-withdraws-from-aleppo-in-implementation-of-agreement-with-damascus/ 

[2] https://t.me/Syrdoc/8010

[3] https://t.me/Syrdoc/7949

[4] https://x.com/Ukrainene/status/2010045167160737812?s=20

[5] https://x.com/karimfranceschi/status/2010340193325207783?s=20

[6] https://www.axios.com/2026/01/04/israel-syria-talks-security-agreement-barrack