Prisoners Flee Jail in YPG-controlled Aleppo

Several detainees escaped from a prison in parts of Aleppo controlled by the Kurdish-led YPG, according to Syria’s official news outlet SANA .

A security official told the agency that the escape took place at a detention facility in the al-Shaqif area, which remains under YPG control. The source did not disclose how many prisoners managed to flee, Daily Sabah reported. 

Meanwhile, the Syrian Civil Defense reported that at least 850 civilians had been evacuated from Aleppo by 12:30 p.m. local time, citing worsening humanitarian conditions and continued shelling attributed to the YPG.

The evacuations were conducted via two designated gathering points in the al-Awarid area and along Zuhur Street. The agency noted that the number of displaced residents has been rising as nearby neighborhoods come under repeated shellfire.

In response, Aleppo’s Internal Transport Company announced that it had mobilized all available technical and logistical resources. Its full bus fleet has been operating at maximum capacity to move affected residents and displaced families to temporary shelters, aiming to protect civilians and reduce hardship amid the ongoing violence.

The developments coincide with a statement from the Syrian army, which said YPG positions in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts are now considered legitimate military targets. The army accused the group of escalating attacks and committing what it described as “massacres” in the province.

According to military officials, the YPG resumed shelling residential areas for a second consecutive day on Wednesday morning. The attacks follow incidents on Tuesday that reportedly left at least five people dead and 16 others wounded.

The army’s Operations Authority announced that Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh would be designated closed military zones after 3 p.m. local time. Civilians were urged to avoid YPG-held locations, and a complete ban on movement within the two neighborhoods was declared from that time onward.

Earlier this month, on March 10, the Syrian presidency revealed an agreement aimed at integrating the YPG into state institutions, emphasizing national unity and rejecting any form of territorial division. However, Syrian officials say the group has yet to take meaningful steps to implement the terms of that deal in the months since its signing.