Ilham Ahmed Warns of Escalation in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh

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Ilham Ahmed.

Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, has warned of what she described as a dangerous military escalation in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods of Aleppo, saying the developments pose a serious threat to civilians.

In a statement posted on the X platform, Ahmed said the Syrian Interim Government’s Ministry of Defence had declared war on the two neighbourhoods, which she described as an attack on densely populated civilian areas. She characterised the move as an act of “genocide” against local residents, noting that the majority of the population is Kurdish and has already endured years of oppression under the former regime, as well as repeated episodes of forced displacement.

Ahmed said the two neighbourhoods are currently under a tight siege imposed by forces affiliated with the Ministry of Defence, despite what she described as the Kurdish side’s adherence to an agreement reached on 1 April. She added that the opposing side has failed to honour the terms of the agreement, despite ongoing efforts to communicate and engage in dialogue.

According to Ahmed, the Ministry of Defence has rejected attempts at talks, a stance she said risks further violence and instability. She called on officials within the Syrian government to assume responsibility for the situation and to pursue a political solution based on reason and dialogue, rather than military confrontation.

Concluding her remarks, Ahmed appealed to Syrians across the country, particularly young people, to reject what she described as the language of war and to speak out for justice. She stressed that Syrians have suffered enough from years of conflict and should not be drawn into further violence.


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