Statement Issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syrian Arab Republic

Statement Issued by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of The Syrian Arab Republic

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announces that the Syrian government has conducted a limited law enforcement operation in specific neighborhoods of Aleppo, namely Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. These measures, undertaken with the Syrian state's commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and the principles of non-discrimination, were taken to restore public order and protect civilians following repeated violations of the security arrangements agreed upon with the People's Protection Units (YPG) of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which resulted in harm to civilians.

Since the liberation on December 8, 2024, the Syrian government has pursued a comprehensive national approach aimed at unifying the security path and consolidating the authority of legitimate state institutions as a fundamental condition for stability. Within this framework, security agreements were reached in April 2025 with the goal of ending all non-governmental military presence in the two neighborhoods. However, these agreements subsequently collapsed following repeated violations, including armed attacks launched from within the two neighborhoods against residential areas in Aleppo on January 7 and 8, 2026, which resulted in civilian casualties.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates affirms that this intervention is not a military campaign, does not involve any demographic change, and does not target any population group on ethnic or religious grounds, as it was limited to specific armed groups operating outside any agreed security framework, whose activities have hindered the implementation of previous understandings and have been linked to serious violations, including the recruitment of minors.

In parallel with these measures, the Syrian state has given top priority to protecting civilians by establishing advanced response points and opening safe humanitarian corridors in cooperation with humanitarian organizations. The government will begin surveying the affected areas and removing explosive remnants as a preliminary step to the return of civilian life to normal.

MOFA stressed that the measures taken are based on the principles of necessity and proportionality and do not target the Kurdish community, which is considered an integral part of the social fabric of Aleppo and active partners in national institutions. Restoring the state’s exclusive authority over weapons is a prerequisite for supporting stability and the political process, and preventing the use of Syrian territory as a platform for any armed activity that threatens regional security.

In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates expresses its deep gratitude and appreciation to the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Turkey, the French Republic, the United Kingdom, and Mr. Masoud Barzani, for their active and fruitful role in supporting the stability of Syria and ensuring the unity and sovereignty of its territory, which contributes to strengthening security and peace in the entire region.