Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has expressed deep concern over the recent events in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo and has called on all parties to handle the situation wisely and to resolve the disputes through dialogue.

“My heart is with our people in West Kurdistan [Rojava] at this difficult time,” Talabani emphasized on Wednesday. 

The PUK president stressed that he supports “any attempt to calm the situation” in the neighborhoods and address the concerns "peacefully."

He hoped that all parties would exercise restraint and “deal wisely with this unwanted incident and resolve the issues through dialogue and responsible discussions.” 

Tensions in Aleppo Neighborhoods After Months of Talks

Talabani’s statement comes amid escalated tensions in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh between the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and Syrian government forces since yesterday.

Recent clashes occurred after a calm period since late December, resulting in fatalities and multiple injuries. Both parties announced a halt to hostilities following several hours of confrontation.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 and the formation of a transitional government in March last year, the disputes between Rojava and Damascus authorities persisted over a range of issues, including establishing a framework in which Kurdish forces integrate into the regular Syrian army; however, no full agreement has been reached, with Damascus also rejecting decentralization, a key demand of Kurds in the northeast of the country.

SDF Denies Aleppo Presence; Damascus Blames Kurds for Attacks

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) dismissed claims of the Syrian government that their forces are present in Aleppo as "fabricated," reiterating its commitment to previous agreements aimed at managing security in the area.

The group said the Kurdish neighborhood of the city has been under siege by Syrian government forces for more than six months.

Meanwhile, Damascus blamed Kurdish forces for targeting their positions and civilians, and declared Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud a "closed military zone," beginning at 3:00 PM today.

The government also announced that its forces have not launched any advance operations toward areas under the control of Kurdish forces.

However, Aleppo's Internal Security Forces said they successfully prevented the initial attempt by government forces to seize Castello Hill at 3:00 p.m.