Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh: From Baathist repression to facing forced displacement

This report will review the trajectory of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo from 2001 to early 2026. It will cover key milestones: the struggle against Baathist security repression, the 2004 uprising, the strategic shift with the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, the formation of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), resisting mercenary attacks, enduring the siege, and chemical attacks in 2016. It also highlights the neighborhoods’ conditions after the fall of the Baath regime, the interim government led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the March 10 and April 1, 2025 agreements, and the current attacks by Turkish-backed mercenaries—while residents remain steadfast in their choice of resistance and general mobilization.

Aleppo: The Unbreakable Mosaic

Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in history. It is more than an economic hub; it is a human mosaic where different ethnicities and religions have coexisted for centuries. However, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh represent an exceptional case in modern Syrian memory. In 2010, the two neighborhoods were home to about 800,000 people, mostly Kurds, alongside Arabs, Turkmen, and Armenians. They evolved from informal settlements created by rural migration into fortresses of resistance and political awareness.

Sheikh Maqsoud sits atop a strategic hill overlooking most of Aleppo, granting it significant military importance and making it a target for competing forces during the Syrian crisis.

Resistance in Aleppo: Dawn’s Cry Before the Revolution (2001–2010)

The resistance in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh did not begin with the Syrian crisis in 2011; its roots go back to the early 2000s. On February 15, 2001, Sheikh Maqsoud witnessed its first major public demonstration. Thousands marched from the “Al-Shuqayf” area toward “20th Street,” denouncing the international conspiracy against Abdullah Öcalan. The demonstration, the first under Bashar al-Assad’s rule, was met with extreme violence by the Air Force Intelligence and Military Security, and dozens of young people were arrested and brutally tortured in detention centers.

The 2004 Uprising: Blood Marks the Boundaries of Identity

On March 12, 2004, the uprising erupted in Qamishli, and the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh responded immediately. The Baathist regime imposed a strict siege and curfew lasting over a week, affecting even pharmacies and medical centers.

On March 16, 2004, security forces committed a massacre in Ashrafieh, using live bullets to disperse a peaceful sit-in, killing two young men, Ary Fawz and Jalal Ibrahim, and a woman, Farida Ahmed. The sit-in escalated into a stone-throwing uprising, resulting in the death of the riot police commander and the burning of security vehicles.

On March 20, 2004, thousands defied the siege in the “Newroz” demonstration, forcing security forces to retreat. On March 26, 2004, activist Yekta Herkul set himself on fire in Saadallah al-Jabiri Square in central Aleppo to protest the repression, becoming an enduring symbol of resistance.

Clashes and Repression Continue (2005–2009)

The confrontational situation persisted: on March 12, 2005, clashes erupted again to commemorate the martyrs, and the Baath regime arrested hundreds of people.

On December 27, 2007, security forces attacked a demonstration in the “Vegetable Market” in Ashrafieh, imprisoning young men on charges of “seizing Syrian lands.” The fate of some, like Safqan and Shukri, remains unknown to this day.

In March 2009, full-scale street fighting broke out after security forces attacked Nowruz celebrations in Raqqa. The residents of Aleppo responded by burning and overturning security vehicles in the streets.

Preparation for Revolution and Self-Organization (2011–2012)

At the start of 2011, Syria entered a new historic phase. While Aleppo was slow to join the protests, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh led in organization.

In September 2011, the Democratic Culture and Arts Center was opened in eastern Sheikh Maqsoud, becoming the first public Kurdish institution to challenge the Emergency Law.

In October 2011, local council elections led to the formation of the People’s Council of Western Kurdistan, chaired by Sinem Muhammad.

Legitimate Defense and Confronting Shabiha (Pro-Regime Militias)

On January 14, 2012, Kubat Dirk, a founding member of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), was martyred. His funeral in Aleppo, starting from Osman Hospital in Ashrafieh, became a massive demonstration shaking the regime.

The regime mobilized Shabiha families, such as the Bakari family. On March 10, 2012, Shabiha shot Kule Selmo, a member of the Star Union (now Kongreya Star), who was martyred on March 13. This sparked a campaign to cleanse the neighborhoods of Shabiha.

From April 10 to May 10, 2012, fierce battles took place against the Abu Aref family in eastern Sheikh Maqsoud, ending with the expulsion of all security remnants and the formation of Civil Protection Committees.

This organization culminated in July 2012 with the formation of the Ashrafieh Martyrs Brigade and the Sheikh Maqsoud Resistance Brigade, coinciding with the launch of the July 19 Rojava Revolution.

On July 27, 2012, the units carried out Operation “Flour Revenge” against regime checkpoints in the Youth Housing and Gondol Roundabout, retaliating for attacks on a relief convoy. Over 20 Baathist regime soldiers were killed in the operation.

Years of Fire: Siege and Chemical Attacks (2013–2016)

2013 was a year of severe tests. The neighborhoods faced dual attacks from the regime and extremist armed groups until April 17.

On March 29, 2013, the regime launched a wide-scale aerial assault, using cluster bombs that killed 15 civilians. On April 13, 2013, the regime committed a war crime using cyanide gas, killing 3 civilians and poisoning 16 others.

Meanwhile, mercenaries from Khalid Hayani (Badr Martyrs Brigade) launched a brutal attack on Youth Housing on April 25, 2013, kidnapping nurses and killing civilians under torture. The People’s Protection Units repelled them in heroic battles, during which commander Zahr al-Din Khalil was martyred.

In June 2013, a coalition of factions (Jabhat al-Nusra, Liwa al-Tawhid, and Ahrar al-Sham) attacked the neighborhoods but were repelled by the fighters’ steadfastness.

2014–2015: Fighting ISIS and YPJ Sacrifices

In September 2014, with ISIS mercenaries attacking Kobani, elite fighters from Aleppo went to participate in the resistance there, bringing with them the street warfare experience gained in Aleppo’s alleys.

On February 3, 2015, the first female fighter from the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) in Aleppo, Janda Walt, was martyred following an attack on Youth Housing.

On May 2, 2015, a so-called “Labbaik Ya Ukhtah” Operations Room was formed under Jabhat al-Nusra to invade the neighborhood, but on May 28, 2015, the units crushed the attack and inflicted heavy losses on the mercenaries.

2016: The Epic of Breaking the Siege

Afterward, a full siege of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh began on September 22, 2015, intensifying in 2016.

On February 20, 2016, the Democratic Society Movement declared a general mobilization.

On March 8 and April 7–8, 2016, the neighborhoods were targeted with chemical attacks by Jaish al-Islam mercenaries, who officially admitted responsibility.

In May 2016, Amnesty International condemned mercenaries for killing 83 civilians, including 30 children, in Sheikh Maqsoud.

On September 7, 2016, the only surgeon in the neighborhood, Shahid Jamian, was martyred in a vicious airstrike.

By November 2016, the People’s Protection Units liberated six eastern neighborhoods (Bustan al-Basha, Halak, Ba’deen, Haidariya, Sheikh Khadr, Sheikh Faris), marking the neighborhoods’ final victory over mercenaries.

New Syria: From Assad’s Fall to Facing Forced Displacement (2024–2026)

The Syrian crisis entered a decisive phase after international consensus on toppling the Assad regime and eliminating Iran’s proxies in the country.

On November 27, 2024, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) launched Operation “Deterrence of Aggression.”

With the rapid fall of Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh retained their security autonomy.

On March 10, 2025, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a historic agreement with interim government head Ahmad Al-Shara.

A local follow-up agreement on April 1, 2025, allowed internal security forces (“Asayish”) to remain in the neighborhoods, while the SDF withdrew heavy weapons to avoid clashes.

January 2026 Aggression: General Mobilization Again

However, mercenary groups backed by Turkish occupation forces continued to target the neighborhoods.

In Q4 2025, these mercenaries imposed a severe siege and repeatedly attacked Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.

On January 6, 2026, mercenaries of the interim government, directly supported by Turkey, launched a large-scale attack with heavy weapons and drones.

The bombardment targeted Othman Hospital and Martyr Khaled Fajr Hospital, putting them completely out of service, and also directly hit civilian homes, constituting a full-fledged war crime.

So far, the attacks have killed over 25 civilians and injured more than 100.

In response to massacres like those in Sahnaia, Suwayda, and Ashrafieh in mid-2025, the administration of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh announced general mobilization on January 9, 2026, reaffirming their refusal of forced displacement and commitment to stay.

ANHA