Residents of Aleppo’s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud Pay for Conflict Between PKK and 4th Division

The fourth division is feuding with the PKK over the quantities of fuel that reach Aleppo, according to Shaam Network.

Kurdish media have highlighted the situation of civilians in the Al-Shahba area north of Aleppo and the neighbourhoods of Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo, which are under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Media outlets focused on these areas due to the harsh siege conditions imposed by the regime’s Fourth Division. The siege comes against the backdrop of disputes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) over the trade of fuel and other commercial commodities.

Marei al-Shibli, an administrator in the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), warned that deaths would rise due to the loss of heating materials caused by the regime’s siege. For this reason, he stressed that the siege must be lifted.

“The neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo are witnessing tragedies and going through difficult conditions due to the siege imposed by the Fourth Division on citizens,” Shibli said. “The Fourth Division prevents us from accessing fuel, medicines and other essentials. This occurs in full view of the concerned authorities, who stand idly by.” 

According to the site BasNews, Marei called on the concerned authorities to pressure the Fourth Division to lift the siege. “We are still demanding the lifting of the siege, which threatens the lives of thousands. So far, two children have died here due to the cold weather,” he said. “Yet our demands and calls for relief have not been answered.” 

Some Kurdish observers pointed out that the Fourth Division, led by Maher al-Assad, is feuding with the PKK over the quantities of fuel that reach Aleppo. These observers confirm that the PKK harbours differences with Fourth Division officers over fuel and other commercial materials that the local Kurdish communities pay for. Nevertheless, the party does not care about the suffering of the people and the conditions they are going through.

Previously, a Syrian-Kurdish source revealed the differences between the PYD administration with the Fourth Division of the Syrian regime in Aleppo related to fuel. The source indicated that the party is present in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods, as well as in the areas of Al-Shahba in the northern countryside of Aleppo, due to a military and security agreement reached under Russian and Iranian auspices.