Syrian government Internal Security Forces entered the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo city (northern Syria) on Saturday, 10 January, in coordination with army units, to continue search and inspection operations in the area.

Official media outlets quoted a military source as saying that a fighter from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) detonated an explosive device at a Syrian army military point inside the neighborhood, without causing injuries.

The source added that engineering units are working to dismantle military vehicles that SDF elements allegedly left rigged with explosives on the neighborhood’s streets, warning civilians not to approach them.

An Enab Baladi correspondent near the outskirts of Sheikh Maqsoud said clashes are still ongoing between the two sides in several buildings where SDF fighters are entrenched.

Warnings about medical facilities

For its part, the media office of the Syrian Ministry of Health said the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and affiliated groups had turned Yassin Hospital inside the neighborhood into a military point and fortified positions after forcing medical staff out, urging residents not to approach the hospital building.

These developments come as the Syrian army seeks to establish full control over the neighborhood. The army’s Operations Directorate urged civilians to remain in their homes and avoid going outside, citing the presence of “hidden elements” inside residential areas, and called on residents to contact it to report any emergencies.

Movement restrictions and curfew

In a related development, Aleppo Governor Azzam Gharib called on city residents to follow security instructions, stressing that the curfew remains in place in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods until further notice.

He stressed that displaced residents should not head to these neighborhoods unless they coordinate with the Aleppo Response Committee, to ensure their return is organized. He also warned against firing in the air or handling any suspicious objects in the area.

Sheikh Maqsoud had been under the control of the Autonomous Administration, whose military wing is the SDF, for years, functioning as an enclave outside Syrian government control inside Aleppo, before government forces recently began moving in.