ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — Tens of thousands of civilians are fleeing their homes due to clashes between the government and Kurdish forces in a contested area in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo.
Signs of the fighting can be seen in the damage to buildings, cars, and ammunition littering the ground, as first responders start entering the area.
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A member of Syrian security forces inspects a tunnel in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes broke out Tuesday, Jan. 6, between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A member of Syrian security forces stands next to a destroyed vehicle in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Civil Defense remove a damaged car in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
An aerial view shows the area in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A defaced picture of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, lies on the floor in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, where clashes broke out on Jan. 6, between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Civilians evacuate an area of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A woman and her children react with distress as civilians evacuate an area of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Residents displaced from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods take shelter inside a mosque in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after clashes erupted Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of Aleppo. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Residents carry their belongings as they are fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Members of Syrian government forces deploy on the streets as they take over the Achrafieh neighborhood from Kurdish fighters during ongoing clashes that erupted Tuesday in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A woman sits in a car with her bird as she is fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods, after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A Syrian government soldier helps an old woman who is fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents carry their belongings, as they are fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Kafaa Abu Sheikh, right, the mother of Syrian girl Fatima al-Zahra, 4, checks on her daughter who was wounded when clashes broke out between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Medics treat a Syrian man at the Al-Razi Hospital, injured during ongoing clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters, in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A car burns during clashes between Kurdish fighters and Syrian government forces in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods after clashes erupted Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian forces officer checks the IDs of residents fleeing the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Members of Syrian government forces deploy on the streets as they take over the Achrafieh neighborhood from Kurdish fighters during ongoing clashes that erupted Tuesday in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods after clashes erupted Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
An aerial view shows Syrian residents in vehicles, queueing to flee from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
A member of Syrian security forces inspects a tunnel in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes broke out Tuesday, Jan. 6, between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A member of Syrian security forces stands next to a destroyed vehicle in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Civil Defense remove a damaged car in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
An aerial view shows the area in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood where clashes broke out Tuesday Jan. 6 between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A defaced picture of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, lies on the floor in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, where clashes broke out on Jan. 6, between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Civilians evacuate an area of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A woman and her children react with distress as civilians evacuate an area of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Residents displaced from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods take shelter inside a mosque in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after clashes erupted Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of Aleppo. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Residents carry their belongings as they are fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Members of Syrian government forces deploy on the streets as they take over the Achrafieh neighborhood from Kurdish fighters during ongoing clashes that erupted Tuesday in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A woman sits in a car with her bird as she is fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods, after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A Syrian government soldier helps an old woman who is fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents carry their belongings, as they are fleeing from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Kafaa Abu Sheikh, right, the mother of Syrian girl Fatima al-Zahra, 4, checks on her daughter who was wounded when clashes broke out between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Medics treat a Syrian man at the Al-Razi Hospital, injured during ongoing clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters, in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
A car burns during clashes between Kurdish fighters and Syrian government forces in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods after clashes erupted Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian forces officer checks the IDs of residents fleeing the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Members of Syrian government forces deploy on the streets as they take over the Achrafieh neighborhood from Kurdish fighters during ongoing clashes that erupted Tuesday in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighbourhoods after clashes erupted Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
An aerial view shows Syrian residents in vehicles, queueing to flee from Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods after clashes broke out on Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Residents flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the government declared the area a closed military zone following days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
