Kurdish Rights Network and Human Rights Organizations Condemn Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods in Aleppo

ARK News.. A Kurdish human rights network, along with several Syrian Kurdish human rights organizations, has issued a statement condemning the indiscriminate shelling of residential areas in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya neighborhoods, as well as Deir Hafer in Aleppo.
Statement text:
We, the undersigned Syrian human rights organizations, are following with grave concern the targeting of residential neighborhoods in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya in the city of Aleppo by Syrian factions affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
This indiscriminate shelling has, so far, resulted in the killing of five people and the injury of 30 civilians, including women and children. The attacks on both neighborhoods are continuing at an intense pace, in addition to the destruction of homes and civilian property, the disruption of essential services and the continuation of a siege that obstructs the delivery of humanitarian aid and the access of medical teams to civilians.
Tanks and heavy military vehicles have also been deployed on the outskirts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya and used to carry out heavy weapons shelling against civilian residential areas. This dangerous military escalation places the lives of thousands of civilians at direct risk and underscores the systematic nature of these attacks, constituting a serious violation of the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution enshrined in international humanitarian law.
Furthermore, some Saudi, Qatari, and Turkish media outlets are contributing to the distortion of facts and fueling tensions through inciting rhetoric and biased, misleading coverage, as if they view the continuation of Syrian infighting as an end in itself rather than a humanitarian tragedy that demands condemnation and an immediate halt.
The town of Deir Hafer in eastern rural Aleppo has also been targeted, and the Deir Hafer road— a vital artery linking the city of Aleppo with areas east of the Euphrates— has been cut off. This has disrupted civilian movement and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, further exacerbating the suffering of the population.
These systematic attacks constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including:
• The direct targeting of civilians, in violation of Article 8 of the Rome Statute.
• Indiscriminate attacks on densely populated areas, in breach of the rules of distinction between civilians and military objectives set out in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.
• Causing excessive harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure beyond any legitimate military advantage.
• Obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilian populations, in violation of international laws, conventions, and humanitarian and ethical norms.
As Syrian human rights organizations committed to defending human rights, we express our full solidarity with the families of innocent victims, wish a speedy recovery to all those injured, and categorically condemn and denounce all forms of violence, killing, and military attacks on safe residential neighborhoods, regardless of their sources or justifications.
We hold the Syrian Interim Government fully legally and morally responsible for these actions and call on the international community to assume its responsibilities in protecting civilians and ensuring fair accountability for all those responsible.
Our urgent demands are as follows:
• An immediate halt to all shelling and military attacks on civilian areas and the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.
• Unhindered access for humanitarian and medical organizations to assist the wounded and displaced.
• The establishment of an independent international investigative committee to document violations and hold all perpetrators accountable under international law.
• An urgent return to political and humanitarian dialogue to ensure civilian protection and put an end to violations of international law.
Qamishli – Syria
06 January 2026
Signatory Organizations:
1. Kurdish Human Rights Network in Syria
2. Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF
3. Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria (Rasd)
4. Organization for the Defense of Prisoners of Conscience in Syria (Rawanga)
5. Kurdish Human Rights Organization in Syria (DAD)

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