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

1. VARIOUS OF CIVILIANS LEAVING AREA ALEPPO, SYRIA - JAN. 8, 2026: The PKK/YPG terrorist group operating under the name of SDF shelled residential neighborhoods in Aleppo in northern Syria for the third consecutive day on Thursday, as the army prepares to launch military operations against the SDF positions in the city.

According to Alikhbariyah TV, the SDF forces targeted the Lairamoun area and the Shihan traffic circle in Aleppo using machine-gun fire early Thursday.

The shelling was the latest SDF attacks in Aleppo, where at least six people were killed and 39 others injured since Tuesday.

The broadcaster said civil defense teams and internal security forces continued to evacuate civilians from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods through Al-Zohour Street due to the SDF “violations.”

According to Syrian figures, more than 3,000 civilians have been displaced from their areas over the SDF attacks.

The Syrian army, meanwhile, said it will begin military operations against the SDF positions in the Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods of Aleppo at 13:30 local time (10:30GMT).

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the army imposed a curfew in the three districts as of 13:30 local time until further notice.

SANA said the decision was taken as a precautionary security measure ahead of the planned operations, with residents instructed to remain indoors.

The provincial administration in Aleppo has extended the suspension of classes at public and private schools and universities in the city on Thursday over the escalation.

On 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.

Syrian authorities say that in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.

The Syrian government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, after 24 years in power.