SHOTLIST:

ALEPPO, SYRIA (JAN. 9, 2026) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF CIVILIANS EVACUATING FROM SHEIKH MAQSOUD NEIGHBORHOOD UNDER MILITARY PROTECTION / SOME WOMEN AND CHILDREN CRYING

ALEPPO, SYRIA - JAN. 9: Civilians began leaving the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday, Jan. 9, through a humanitarian corridor opened by the Syrian army to allow evacuations from the area, state media reported.

In a statement carried by the official news agency SANA, the Syrian army said the corridor would be open between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time, permitting civilians remaining in Sheikh Maqsoud to move to designated safe areas of the city.

The army called on civilians in the neighborhood to leave through the humanitarian corridor during the specified hours. The statement added that members of the YPG/SDG would be guaranteed safety if they surrendered their weapons.

Separately, a military source speaking to Syrian state television said that PKK militants had entrenched themselves in Sheikh Maqsoud and were attempting to undermine reconciliation efforts and target Syrian forces.

On March 10, 2025, 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.

Authorities said in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.

The government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.