Overview
- Government forces took control of Achrafieh, Bani Zaid and Sheikh Maqsoud after bus evacuations to northeast Syria, and authorities escorted families back to Achrafieh as shops reopened.
- An Associated Press reporter observed buses carrying about 360 fighters, while the Interior Ministry told AFP that more than 400 were evacuated and roughly 300 were arrested.
- United Nations teams prepared additional relief convoys as rescue workers and demining units cleared rubble, searched tunnels and warned residents to wait for mines to be disarmed before returning.
- At least 23 people were killed and more than 140,000 displaced during five days of the fiercest fighting in Aleppo since late 2024, with widespread damage in predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods.
- Disputes persisted over responsibility for strikes on the Khaled Fajr hospital and a drone hit on the governor’s building, and state media reported army reinforcements east of Aleppo that the SDF publicly denied.