SHOTLIST:

ALEPPO, SYRIA (JAN. 8, 2026) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS BARRICADING EXITS OF NEIGHBORHOODS AS ARMED CLASHES CONTINUE WITH SDG TERRORISTS ALEPPO, SYRIA - JAN. 8: Syrian Army's troops have largely taken control of Ashrafieh, a neighborhood in central Aleppo that has been occupied by the terrorist group PKK/YPG.

According to information obtained by Anadolu from military sources involved in operations against the PKK/YPG in the Aleppo city center, troops entered the neighborhood from the south, west, and north, largely capturing it.

Special task force units affiliated with the Syrian Interior Ministry also entered the Ashrafieh neighborhood and began search and sweep operations.

Clashes between the terror group and army units, however, continue in some parts of the neighborhood and the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.

In a statement, Aleppo Governor Azzam Gharib said internal security forces are preparing to deploy to these two neighborhoods to fully secure them and ensure the safe return of displaced residents to their homes.

- Operation against PKK/YPG terrorists in Aleppo

The terrorist group PKK/YPG, operating under the name SDF, has been launching attacks on numerous locations in Aleppo from areas it occupies since Dec. 6.

Last March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

The Syrian government demanded that the PKK/YPG abide by the agreements and end the attacks in Aleppo.

Following the group's continued attacks, the Syrian army launched targeted operations against the terrorist group's positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo.

While clashes continued in the region, the terror group launched attacks on many civilian settlements in Aleppo.

In the attacks carried out by the terrorist group since Dec. 6, nine Syrians have been killed and 55 people, mostly civilians, injured.

The Aleppo City Center Committee announced that the number of people evacuated to safe areas in Aleppo has reached 142,000.