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New Syrian army soldiers march during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria on December 8, 2025 [Hussein Malla/AP Photo]
By Saif Khalid and Farah Najjar
Published On 6 Jan 2026

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6 Jan 2026 - 17:10
 (17:10 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

You can read our story on the latest developments here.

For more on how talks between the Syrian government and the SDF on a military merger have stalled, read this.

For details on US-led talks in Paris between Syrian and Israeli officials, held amid Israel’s expanded occupation beyond the Golan Heights and continued strikes in southern Syria, read this.

6 Jan 2026 - 17:05
 (17:05 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

This live page will close soon. Here’s a look at the day’s main developments:

  • At least seven people, including six civilians and a Syrian soldier, have been killed in renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, with both sides blaming each other for the casualties.
  • Syria’s Defence Ministry said clashes erupted after SDF drones targeted a military checkpoint near Deir Hafer, east of the northern province.
  • Fighting with heavy machine gunfire and drone attacks centred around two neighbourhoods, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah.
  • The fighting came days after a SDF delegation held talks with the government in Damascus about integrating SDF fighters into Syria’s national army.
  • In the south of the country, Israeli forces launched an incursion, with Israeli military vehicles storming Saida al-Golan village in the Quneitra countryside.
  • Israeli soldiers have also set up a checkpoint and raided homes in the village.
6 Jan 2026 - 17:00
 (17:00 GMT)

Turkiye demands Kurdish armed groups surrender weapons

Turkiye’s defence minister has demanded that all Kurdish armed groups – “including in Syria” – lay down their weapons.

“The PKK [the Kurdistan Workers’ Party] and all affiliated groups must immediately cease all terrorist activity in regions where they are present, including in Syria, and lay down their weapons without condition,” Yasar Guler said in Ankara.

6 Jan 2026 - 16:45
 (16:45 GMT)

‘Worst clashes’ yet between Syrian forces and SDF raise fears of wider escalation

By Resul Serdar Atas

Reporting from Beit Jinn, Syria

These are the worst clashes between the government forces and the SDF since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

The clashes are now still ongoing. Heavy artillery shelling, rockets are being fired, and also drones are involved.

So this is a different kind of escalation than what we have seen previously, and also now the government emergency teams are evacuating civilians, particularly from the districts of Sheikh Maqsoudand Ashrafiyeh.

The government is saying that they are enforcing the deployments of troops over there so there is an expectation that these clashes could further escalate.

This comes two days after senior leadership of the SDF were in Damascus for talks.

The SDF is the most important challenge to Syria’s national unity. The government is saying that this cannot linger forever … so SDF must submit its weapons and finally integrate with the government forces.

As long as the SDF continues to control one-third of the country’s energy resources and agricultural resources, Syria is going to remain divided.

6 Jan 2026 - 16:30
 (16:30 GMT)
Developing

Death toll from clashes between Syrian army and SDF in Aleppo rises to seven

At least seven people, including six civilians, have now been killed in Aleppo on Tuesday as a result of ongoing clashes between government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF, with both sides trading blame.

In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, the defence ministry said the SDF targeted “a number of neighbourhoods in Aleppo city adjacent to the districts it controls”.

“The ongoing attacks have resulted in three dead and more than 12 wounded among civilians,” it said, also reporting one dead in an attack on an army position.

Meanwhile, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that three civilians, including two women, were killed from “indiscriminate artillery and missile shelling carried out by factions of the Damascus government” on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh districts.

6 Jan 2026 - 16:15
 (16:15 GMT)

SDF ‘preventing’ civilians from leaving Aleppo neighbourhoods

A public relations official at Aleppo’s media directorate told SANA that the SDF are preventing civilians from leaving the neighbourhoods of al-Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo.

This comes as security forces have been reportedly trying to facilitate the evacuation of residents from the neighbourhoods.

6 Jan 2026 - 16:00
 (16:00 GMT)
Explainer

Who are the SDF?

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurdish-led, multi-ethnic alliance of armed groups that was formed in 2015 during Syria’s civil war. While it includes Arab, Assyrian and other local factions, its backbone is the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which played a central role in the fight against ISIL (ISIS).

The SDF rose to prominence as the main US-backed partner in the campaign to defeat ISIL in Syria, receiving military training, weapons and logistical support from Washington. Through that fight, it came to control large parts of northeastern Syria, including key cities, border crossings and areas rich in oil, gas and agricultural resources.

Alongside its military role, the SDF has backed a system of local self-administration, promoting a decentralised model of governance in areas under its control.

That autonomy has long been a point of contention with Damascus, which has insisted on restoring full state authority across Syria.

Tensions have also been shaped by regional dynamics. Turkiye considers the SDF a “terrorist” organisation because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish group that has fought the Turkish state for decades. Ankara has repeatedly warned against any permanent SDF presence along its southern border and has carried out military operations in northern Syria to push Kurdish forces away from frontier areas.

In March 2025, the group signed an agreement with Syria’s government to integrate into state institutions, including the army, by the end of the year. However, disagreements over command structures, control of territory and the future of SDF forces have slowed implementation, as fighting flare-ups continue.

6 Jan 2026 - 15:45
 (15:45 GMT)

Why integrating the SDF has become Syria’s biggest unity test

By Ayman Oghanna

Reporting from Beit Jinn, Syria

Of all the challenges to Syria’s national unity, the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) [into the army] is by far the biggest.

Back in March, a so-called historic agreement was made between the SDF and Damascus, which would have seen the SDF integrate into government forces and institutions by the end of 2025. That deadline has passed.

SDF commanders made a recent visit to Damascus to revive the talks, but that ended in no resolution. So, tensions have been escalating.

There are major sticking points. The SDF estimates vary, but the SDF control between 50,000 and 90,000 US-trained fighters.

To put that into perspective, the British army only has about 73,000 active soldiers. So, the size of the SDF force is a major issue.

So, too, is who controls them and their confirmation.

The SDF wants to keep three divisions under SDF command, whereas Damascus would like to see joint command or an elimination of the command structures with the SDF.

As well as Damascus and the SDF, there are foreign actors strongly following the SDF integration negotiations, the most important of which is Ankara.

Ankara sees the SDF as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an organisation that Turkiye has been at war with since 1984 in a conflict that has killed 40,000 civilians. (In May, the PKK announced it would abandon armed rebellion). For Ankara, one of the major sticking points, too, is control of the borders.

The SDF currently controls the borders with Turkiye, and Turkiye would like to see this taken under government control.

6 Jan 2026 - 15:43
 (15:43 GMT)
Houthi

One killed and five wounded in SDF attack in Sheikh Maqsoud, ministry says

The SDF has targeted an army position in the the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood of Aleppo, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of five others, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defence.

The ministry said the army hit the SDF firing and drone launching positions and destroyed a number of them.

6 Jan 2026 - 15:38
 (15:38 GMT)
Developing

SDF shelling reported near Aleppo hospital

Syria’s state news agency SANA has reported that the SDF shelled Zahi Azraq Hospital, which is affiliated with Aleppo’s health directorate and located in the Bustan al-Basha area.

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are also saying that SDF artillery fire also targeted the neighbourhoods of al-Khaldiya, Bustan al-Basha and Suleiman al-Halabi.

We’ll bring you more soon.

6 Jan 2026 - 15:30
 (15:30 GMT)

Aleppo governor urges residents to exercise caution

Aleppo’s governor, Azzam al-Gharib, has urged residents to remain cautious as fighting continues in the city.

He said relevant authorities and security forces are dealing firmly with fires caused by “indiscriminate shelling” from positions held by SDF forces in the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah.

The governor called on residents to avoid heading to the city centre or passing through areas of clashes, and to stay away from crowded locations to ensure their safety. He added that necessary measures have been taken to contain the situation and maintain public security in Aleppo.

6 Jan 2026 - 15:15
 (15:15 GMT)

What is the SDF–government agreement?

In March 2025, Syria’s caretaker government and the Kurdish-led SDF signed what was described as a historic agreement aimed at reintegrating the SDF and the areas it controls into the Syrian state.

Under the deal, announced in Damascus, the SDF agreed to merge into state institutions, including the military, by the end of 2025. The agreement also envisaged bringing border crossings, airports and key energy infrastructure in northeastern Syria under central government authority, while recognising the rights of Syria’s Kurdish population.

However, implementation has largely stalled. Disputes have centred on how the SDF’s forces would be absorbed into the national army, command structures, and control over territory and borders. Despite follow-up meetings between SDF commanders and government officials, no breakthrough has been announced.

Tensions resurfaced in Aleppo, where the two sides agreed in late 2025 to de-escalate violence following clashes in the Kurdish neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafieh. That agreement has since come under strain as fighting has once again flared.

The stalled integration process remains one of the biggest unresolved challenges to Syria’s national unity, with regional actors, particularly Turkiye, closely watching the negotiations due to concerns about border control and the SDF’s links to the PKK.

6 Jan 2026 - 15:05
 (15:05 GMT)

Aleppo Civil Council denies SDF presence in Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood

The Aleppo Civil Council has denied accusations that the Kurdish-held neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah pose a security threat, saying there are no SDF fighters or heavy weapons present in the areas.

Nouri Sheikho, the council’s co-chair, told Al Jazeera Arabic that the neighbourhoods are policed only by internal security forces equipped with light arms. He said Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah are home to about 400,000 people, describing the attacks against them as a form of “demonisation” of the civilian population.

Sheikho said the April 1 agreement explicitly guarantees the administrative and security status of the two districts. He accused the opposing side of attempting to sabotage the deal by violating the ceasefire and targeting civilian areas with heavy artillery, tanks and suicide drones.

6 Jan 2026 - 14:50
 (14:50 GMT)

Heavy shelling targeting the city, says government media director

Abdul Karim Leila, director of the Media Directorate in Aleppo, has told Al Jazeera Arabic that heavy shelling is targeting the city. Here are his main points:

Displacement: Residents near the contact lines of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah are fleeing their homes in a “state of panic” due to what he described as “indiscriminate shelling”.
‘Logic of responsibility’: Lelia rejected SDF claims that the government started the fighting, insisting Ministry of Defence forces are only “responding to sources of fire” and exercising restraint to protect civilians.
Stalled agreement: Leila accused the SDF of failing to implement a deal to allow state institutions into Kurdish-held neighbourhoods, warning that while the government prefers a political path, it will not rule out a military solution.

6 Jan 2026 - 14:35
 (14:35 GMT)
Houthi

Authorities in Aleppo say 15 wounded in shelling

Aleppo provincial authorities say the number of wounded has risen to 15, including children and nine employees of the Aleppo Agriculture Directorate, following shelling that they attribute to the SDF.

Officials said the attack was launched from the SDF-held neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafia, targeting surrounding areas of the city.

6 Jan 2026 - 14:15
 (14:15 GMT)

Residents flee Aleppo neighbourhoods following heavy shelling

Syrian state media say videos circulating on X show residents fleeing the Nile Street area of Aleppo towards “safer areas” after residential neighbourhoods were targeted by SDF forces.

Separately, videos posted by local journalists and verified by Al Jazeera show security forces facilitating the evacuation of residents from the neighbourhoods.

Translation: The SDF targets civilians in Aleppo as internal security forces try to secure residents.

6 Jan 2026 - 14:12
 (14:12 GMT)
Houthi

Death toll in Syria clashes rises to four

The Syrian state news agency SANA says three civilians have been killed and nine wounded in shelling that it attributes to the SDF and says targeted residential neighbourhoods in Aleppo.

Among those killed are two women, it said.

Citing the Aleppo Agriculture Directorate’s media office, SANA reported that nine of its employees were injured when a shell fired by the SDF hit the directorate in Aleppo.

Earlier, SANA reported that one member of government forces had been killed in the clashes.

6 Jan 2026 - 14:00
 (14:00 GMT)

What we know so far

  • Clashes have resumed between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in parts of Aleppo.
  • State media says one soldier was killed and three wounded in an attack blamed on the SDF.
  • Syrian TV later reported that two civilian women were killed and a child was wounded in residential shelling it attributed to the SDF; the SDF denied responsibility.
  • The SDF accused government-linked forces of shelling Kurdish areas and claimed drone and artillery attacks killed civilians – claims not yet confirmed by state media.
  • Fighting is focused on Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafia, predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods.
  • The violence comes as talks to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army remain stalled, despite a deal signed in March.
6 Jan 2026 - 13:42
 (13:42 GMT)

Two Syrian women killed in SDF shelling

State TV reported that two civilian women were killed and a child was wounded in shelling of a residential area that it blamed on the SDF.

The SDF in a statement denied being behind that shelling and asserted instead that a shell launched by “factions affiliated with the Damascus government” landed in the al-Midan neighbourhood.

6 Jan 2026 - 13:34
 (13:34 GMT)

Heavy fighting and drone strikes erupt in Aleppo amid stalled talks

By Resul Serdar Atas

Reporting from Beit Jinn, Syria

The heavy fighting between government forces and the SDF fighters is continuing and is particularly concentrated in the districts of Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud, where the majority of the Kurds live.

And now we’re seeing the heavy shelling, mortar shelling, the rockets are being fired, but for the first time, drones are also involved from both parties.

The security forces are confirming that at least one of these members has been killed, and several other people, including civilians, are injured. So the government sources are saying that the SDF is not only targeting the security forces, but they are also bombing and shelling the residential areas.

Now the government is also evacuating some of the residential areas in the vicinity of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah.

This is just coming two days after the leadership of the SDF met senior officials of the Syrian government in Damascus. We know that throughout the talks, there has not been any remarkable progress, but they have agreed to meet again, to hold a next round of talks. However, there were no details regarding that.

But as of now, this integration of the SDF that was agreed last March is not moving forward. We’re seeing the tensions are really being accumulated, and it’s an extremely difficult situation for the government because the SDF controls one-third of the country and also the majority of the energy resources, agricultural resources, all the way from the Turkish border down to Deir Az Zor near the Iraqi border.

Particularly for Aleppo, tensions are rising again and again because … Aleppo is the economic hub. It’s the industrial centre of Syria, and as the country is trying to recover from the economic devastation of the civil war, now, as long as these SDF fighters, armed groups, are in some parts of Aleppo, the government is saying it’s going to be extremely difficult to attract investments here and to achieve an economic recovery.