Hundreds flee through corridors opened by Syria’s government

Aleppo: Clashes broke out Wednesday in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo after hundreds of people left two predominantly ethnic Kurdish neighbourhoods when the military opened two corridors for civilians to leave the area that witnessed deadly violence a day earlier.

Syria’s military gave people until 3 pm (1200 GMT) to leave the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh, after which they would be considered a “closed military area.” Once the deadline ended, sounds of explosions were heard in the two neighbourhoods.

The Syrian Civil Defence said that by noon (0900 GMT), around 850 people had left the two neighbourhoods, after a day of clashes and shelling that left seven people dead in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and four others in the government-controlled areas.

Dozens of people were wounded in the violence.

Syria’s Information Ministry said that the army will launch “a limited military operation” in Aleppo, saying it comes in response

to SDF attacks on government-held parts of the largest city in the country and once its commercial centre. The ministry said that such attacks by the SDF over the months have killed more than 20 civilians and wounded more than 150 others, and resulted in the deaths of more than 25 soldiers.

The SDF said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that government forces are launching an attack with heavy weapons on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods.

It added that Kurdish forces are engaging in “fierce resistance to repel” the assault and protect the neighbourhoods and their residents.

The latest round of clashes is the deadliest so far between the two sides, and came as efforts to merge the SDF with the national army have shown little progress.