At least 12 people have died in two days of fierce fighting between the Syrian government and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo. The deadly clashes forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee the mainly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. The Syrian army bombed these areas on Wednesday after calling them "closed military areas." The government said the operation was a response to attacks by armed groups and was "solely aimed at preserving security." However, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) called this a "criminal attempt" to force people out. A local Aleppo resident told the BBC, "All my friends have left for other towns. Sometimes it is calm and suddenly war starts again." Samer Issa, who left Ashrafieh with his young children, said he was sheltering in a mosque. "The shelling intensified. We left because our children could no longer endure the hits and the shelling," he said, describing the scene as "heartbreaking." This violence highlights the deep divisions in Syria, one year after President Ahmad al-Sharaa took charge following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. In March 2025, the Kurdish-led SDF signed a deal to integrate their forces into the Syrian state, but this process has stalled. Both sides accuse each other of blocking progress. The SDF is reluctant to give up the autonomy it gained during Syria's 13-year civil war, when it helped US-led forces defeat the Islamic State. The situation risks further regional tensions, as Turkey backs the Syrian government but sees the Kurdish militia as a terrorist group.