Tens of thousands flee fighting in Aleppo, Syria, after evacuation order

Thousands have been forced from their homes in Aleppo after people were ordered to evacuate amid fighting between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces.

The provincial government set a deadline of 1pm (10am UK time) on Thursday for people to leave Kurdish-majority areas using evacuation corridors. The military later issued maps showing the no-go zones.

The army would begin "targeted operations" against Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the areas of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid, the state news agency SANA warned. Shelling and drone strikes intensified on Thursday afternoon and tanks could be seen entering the neighbourhoods.

The fighting - which began in the northern city on Tuesday - comes as the Kurdish-led SDF continue to resist integrating into the Syrian army following the overthrow of President Assad in late 2024. The SDF said their fighters were involved in intense clashes with factions linked to the government and that at least eight civilians had been killed in Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods.

It claimed warnings of shelling could count as forced displacement and war crimes. Government officials said at least seven civilians and one soldier were dead in nearby government-controlled areas.

Nearly 140,000 people have been displaced across Aleppo province, according to the provincial directorate of social affairs and labour. Faisal Ali, head of operations of the civil defence in Aleppo, said: "Transport buses and civil defence vehicles are present, and a large number of those leaving today are children, women, and elderly men and women, many of whom are suffering from serious health conditions.

"They have been provided with medical care in ambulance vehicles and transported to hospitals as needed, while our teams continue to accompany the ambulances and monitor their health conditions in the shelters." The SDF controls much of northeastern Syria and for years have been the main US partner in fighting the Islamic State group in the country. It reached a deal with the Syrian government in March that envisaged full integration between the two sides' forces by the end of 2025.

However, progress has been slow and the two sides have accused each other of stalling. America, which backs new President Ahmed al Sharaa, has tried to mediate and the latest talks were held as recently as Sunday.

There are fears a failure to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army will mean more violence and could prompt Turkey to get involved militarily. Ankara regards the Kurdish fighters as terrorists due to links it says they have with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey.

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