UPDATE - YPG/SDF terror group seizes hospital in Syria's Aleppo, expels medical staff

UPDATES WITH INFORMATION MINISTER STATEMENT; ADDS DETAILS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK

By Rania Abushamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - The YPG/SDF terrorist organization seized a hospital in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood and expelled its medical staff, Syria’s Health Ministry said on Saturday.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Health Ministry said: “The PKK terrorist organization and armed groups affiliated with it expelled staff and doctors from Yassin Hospital in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of the city of Aleppo and turned it into a military point they are fortifying themselves in, after fleeing before the Syrian Arab Army.”

The ministry warned civilians against approaching the facility, stressing safety concerns.

Separately, military sources told SANA that two YPG/SDF terrorists blew themselves up near Syrian Army forces in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, with no casualties reported among the army ranks.

In a statement on US social media company X, Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said: “Armed groups affiliated with the SDF and the PKK organization turned a number of civilian facilities in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood into military strongholds and are still using them to launch attacks that deliberately put innocent civilians in the line of fire.”

He added: “As units of the Syrian Army advance and have successfully cleared most combat positions inside the neighborhood, some desperate remnants of these groups are now digging in inside hospitals and medical centers, cynically using patients, medical staff, and those sheltering there as human shields.”

Al-Mustafa stressed the need to protect civilians and medical facilities, saying: “We categorically affirm the absolute necessity of fully protecting civilians and keeping them out of any military confrontation, and of preventing the use of vital public facilities—especially hospitals and medical centers—in any military, political, or media game.”

He concluded by underlining the legal and moral implications, noting: “This is a clear requirement under international humanitarian law and a moral duty owed to every innocent life at risk.”

Aleppo Health Director Muhammad Jumaa said “the PKK terrorist organization and armed groups affiliated with it expelled medical staff from Yassin Hospital in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood and turned it into a military point, in a blatant violation of all international and humanitarian laws that protect health facilities and medical personnel.”

He said the incident “constitutes a serious crime against the health sector, endangers the lives of civilians and patients, and deprives residents of their basic right to medical care,” stressing that “these groups bear full responsibility for the safety of medical staff and health property.”

Jumaa urged civilians “not to approach the hospital to ensure their safety,” and called on international and humanitarian organizations “to clearly and explicitly condemn these violations and work to ensure the protection of health facilities and prevent their use in military actions.”

The Syrian Army announced Saturday the completion of a full security sweep of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood amid escalation with the YPG/SDF terror group​​​​​.

Since Tuesday, the YPG/SDF has shelled residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo.

The attacks have killed nine people and wounded 55 others, and triggered the displacement of about 165,000 residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods.

On March 10, 2025, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.

Authorities said, in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.

The government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.