ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syrian authorities have cut off electricity and internet services from a hospital in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, amid ongoing clashes between Kurdish-led and Syrian forces, its director told The New Region on Thursday.

“They are cutting off the internet services, at times it works, and at other times it does not. They have cut off electricity. At this point, the only thing left is water, and it's possible they will also cut off water as well,” Abdulqadir Haso said.

He shared records of explosions in the neighborhood, showing the attacks continued on Thursday, and asserting that the attacks are being carried out by Damascus-affiliated factions.

Kurdish-led security forces (Asayish) reported that Damascus-affiliated factions resumed their attacks on Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo on Thursday “with tanks and Grad rockets,” resulting in material damage.

Clashes between Damascus-affiliated and Kurdish-led security forces are ongoing in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, with at least eight people having been killed and 57 others injured, according to Asayish figures. 

Both sides have traded blame for triggering the clashes and accused one another of targeting civilian areas with heavy munitions.

On Thursday, the SDF accused the Syrian government of carrying out a policy of “collective punishment” by cutting electricity and preventing the entry of food and medical supplies to Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh. 

It slammed the move as a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law.” 

Tensions surged further on Wednesday after the Syrian army declared a curfew in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, announcing the two neighborhoods as “closed military zones.”

Hundreds of residents were forced to flee their homes to evade the clashes, with the exact number not yet available. The Syrian government opened two humanitarian corridors, while the Asayish forces urged the citizens to remain in their homes.

The SDF further blasted Damascus-linked factions for attempting to “cause the highest possible number of casualties, taking advantage of residents being inside their homes.”

The escalations follow a high-level meeting on Sunday between an SDF delegation headed by the forces’ chief Mazloum Abdi and officials in Damascus, discussing the implementation of the March 10 agreement concerned with the integration of Kurdish-led units in the country into the Syrian army.

While the Kurdish side asserted that the meeting was held in a “professional and responsible” manner, ensuring “well-considered results,” Syrian sources told state media that it did not lead to any “tangible results.”

The implementation of the agreement has been stalled due to the Kurdish side demanding a democratic integration while Damascus maintains its centralized stance, with frequent clashes between the two sides further escalating tensions.