وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين السورية: بيان حول تنفيذ عملية إنفاذ قانون محدودة وموجهة في أحياء بمدينة حلب

وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND EXPATRIATES

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 carried out a limited and targeted law-enforcement operation, restricted in scope and objectives, in specific neighbourhoods of the city of Aleppo, namely Sheikh Maqsoud and Al-Ashrafieh. These measures were undertaken, in line with the Syrian state’s commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and the principles of non-discrimination, with the aim of restoring public order and protecting civilians, following repeated violations of the agreed security arrangements with the People’s Protection Units affiliated with the Democratic Union Party, which resulted in harm to civilians.

Since the date of liberation on 8 December 2024, the Syrian government has pursued a comprehensive national approach aimed at unifying the security track and consolidating the authority of legitimate state institutions as a fundamental prerequisite for stability. Within this framework, security agreements were concluded in April 2025 with the objective of ending all non-state military manifestations in the two neighbourhoods. These agreements subsequently deteriorated as a result of repeated violations, including armed attacks launched from within the two neighbourhoods against residential areas of the city of Aleppo on 7 and 8 January 2026, which resulted in civilian casualties.

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

In parallel with these measures, the Syrian state has accorded the highest priority to the protection of civilians through the establishment of advanced response points and the opening of safe humanitarian corridors, in cooperation with humanitarian organisations. The government will commence surveying affected areas and removing explosive remnants of war as a preparatory step towards the restoration of normal civilian life. It further underscores 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 Aleppo’s social fabric and an active partner in national institutions. Restoring the exclusive authority of the state over weapons is a fundamental condition for supporting stability and the political process, and for 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 sincere appreciation and gratitude to the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Türkiye, the French Republic, the United Kingdom, and Mr. Masoud Barzani, for their active and constructive role in supporting Syria’s stability and in upholding the unity and sovereignty of its territory, contributing to the strengthening of security and peace across the region as a whole.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic

Saturday 10 January, 2026 – 21 Rajab 1447 AH

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