Syria has declared areas west of the Euphrates River a closed military zone, ordering all armed elements linked to the YPG terror group to withdraw eastward, as fighting intensifies and attacks on Aleppo mount despite previously signed agreements.
In a statement released to local media, the Syrian Army said the YPG, alongside PKK-linked terrorists and remnants of the former Assad regime, have been amassing forces in territories they control west of the Euphrates and using them as launchpads for kamikaze drone attacks on Aleppo.Â
YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terror group.
The army said these actions prompted the decision to designate the area a military zone.
A map published with the statement highlighted key locations, including Meskene and Deir Hafir, with authorities urging civilians to stay away from sites under militant control.Â
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The army demanded the immediate withdrawal of all armed elements to areas east of the Euphrates, warning that the zones would be treated as active military theatres.
The move follows days of intensified violence.Â
Since last week, YPG shelling of residential neighbourhoods, civilian facilities and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo has killed at least 24 people, wounded nearly 130 and displaced around 165,000 residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud districts, according to official figures.