by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
ALEPPO, SYRIA by (Worthy News) – Deadly clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters in the northern city of Aleppo have coincided with separate U.S. military strikes elsewhere in Syria, heightening fears of renewed instability in a country still struggling to stabilize after years of war.
First responders on Sunday entered contested neighborhoods of Aleppo after days of intense fighting between government troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which erupted after talks stalled on integrating the Kurdish-led force into the national army.
At least 23 people were killed and more than 140,000 displaced amid shelling and drone strikes, according to local authorities and aid groups.
Syrian state media said government forces seized several districts, while the SDF announced a “partial ceasefire” after evacuating civilians and wounded fighters.
The United Nations said it was seeking to dispatch additional convoys carrying food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies to affected neighborhoods.
CHRISTIANS FEAR DISPLACEMENT
Christian leaders and aid workers voiced concern that renewed violence in Aleppo—home to one of Syria’s oldest Christian communities—could trigger fresh displacement of vulnerable Christian families, many of whom had only recently returned after fleeing earlier phases of the conflict.
Church sources said Christian neighborhoods and institutions have often been caught near frontlines in past fighting, prompting fears that renewed instability could again expose believers to intimidation, looting, or forced flight amid shifting control and weakened security in the Muslim-majority nation.
Separately, the United States confirmed it carried out airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) group targets in other parts of Syria, saying the operations were aimed at degrading the extremist group’s ability to regroup and threaten U.S. and allied forces.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted ISIS positions and were not connected to the fighting in Aleppo, where U.S. forces are not directly involved.
American officials stressed that the operations were part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and did not support either side in the government-Kurdish clashes.
FRAGILE SECURITY SITUATION
The SDF, which has been backed by Washington in the fight against Islamic State, accused Syrian government forces of repeatedly striking civilian infrastructure, including a hospital.
Damascus denied the claim, accusing Kurdish fighters of using civilian sites for military purposes.
Analysts say the simultaneous violence highlights the fragile security situation in Syria, where unresolved political and military tensions persist despite the end of former President Bashar Assad’s rule and continued international counterterrorism operations.
These realities have also underscored the precarious position of minorities, including Christians, who have frequently found themselves caught in the crossfire amid Syria’s ongoing power struggle and shifting lines of control.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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Deadly clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters in the northern city of Aleppo have coincided with separate U.S. military strikes elsewhere in Syria, heightening fears of renewed instability in a country still struggling to stabilize after years of war.