Deadly shelling forces mass evacuation in northern Aleppo PHOTO

Syrian Civil Defence and Syrian Arab Red Crescent teams have been responding to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, as the SDF organization intensified shelling of residential areas near the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, forcing civilians to flee their homes.

In a statement, the Syrian Civil Defence said that, in cooperation with the Red Crescent, its teams had evacuated 850 civilians—mostly from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh—as of 12:30 PM on January 7, SANA reports.

Evacuations were conducted through two gathering points in the al-Awarid and al-Zuhur Street areas, amid a growing number of residents leaving neighborhoods targeted by SDF shelling.

Earlier on January 7, the Syrian Arab Army Operations Command announced that Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh would be designated a closed military zone starting at 3:00 PM. The command also opened two safe humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to move to secure areas.

The announcement followed deadly attacks by SDF forces on January 6, which resulted in the deaths of three civilians, including two women, and injuries to 15 others, including two children, in the neighborhoods surrounding Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud.

The coordinated efforts by the Civil Defence and Red Crescent aim to ensure civilian safety amid ongoing hostilities, while the Syrian Army underscores the importance of evacuation to minimize casualties in the conflict-affected areas.

By Vafa Guliyeva