Senate Foreign Relations Chair Condemns Human Rights Abuses in Syrian Army’s Aleppo Offensive

Senator Jim Risch has called on the Syrian government to hold accountable those responsible for alleged human rights violations during the Syrian army’s recent seizure of two Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo. The Idaho Republican, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed “grave concern” about the conduct of armed forces in the city over the past week.

“After years of war, the role of Syria’s new government and armed forces is to safeguard the inherent rights of its citizens, not to infringe upon them,” Risch wrote Tuesday on X, responding to reports from the Syrian Network that documented atrocities, including the desecration of a woman’s body that was thrown from a high floor by a Syrian Army member.

The military operation culminated Sunday when forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s control captured the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, which had been strongholds of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The offensive has raised international concern, particularly given al-Sharaa’s background as a former member of both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State before assuming Syria’s presidency.

The SDF, which played a critical role in aiding U.S. forces to defeat ISIS in Syria, ultimately agreed to evacuate from the neighborhoods after days of fighting. Mazloum Abdi, the SDF leader, announced that international mediation had secured a ceasefire and ensured the evacuation of “martyrs, wounded, stranded civilians and fighters” to areas in North and East Syria, also known as Rojava.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as Special Envoy for Syria, met with President al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Damascus on Saturday to discuss the Aleppo situation and Syria’s path forward. Barrack stated that the Syrian government had “reaffirmed its commitment to the March 2025 integration agreement with the SDF,” which provides a framework for incorporating SDF forces into national institutions.

The human toll of the conflict has been severe. According to the Aleppo health directorate, at least 24 civilians were killed and more than 120 injured during five days of fighting.

Kurdish studies expert Wladimir van Wilgenburg told Fox News Digital that Turkish influence may be behind Damascus’ aggressive moves against the Kurdish forces. “Kurds suspect that Turkey is pushing Damascus to push out Kurdish forces from Aleppo to give a major blow to the SDF so that they will make more concessions to Damascus and make the Kurdish negotiation position weaker,” he said.

The Turkish government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long viewed Syrian Kurds as a security threat due to Kurdish aspirations for an independent state that would include parts of Turkey. Erdogan has launched multiple military operations against Kurdish forces in northern Syria over the years.

A key sticking point in negotiations between the SDF and Damascus concerns the structure of integration. “Ankara wants the SDF to integrate into the Syrian army on an individual basis, not as separate divisions,” van Wilgenburg explained. “Moreover, the SDF wants a decentralized system, while Damascus wants a centralized system.”

Sinam Mohamad, the representative of the Syrian Democratic Council to the U.S., emphasized that “a decentralized system will save Syria from any conflict in the future.” She expressed concern about ongoing Turkish influence in Damascus and highlighted unique aspects of SDF forces that may be at risk under integration, including women’s units that fought against ISIS.

“Damascus does not want women units in the army,” Mohamad noted, pointing to Israel as an example where women serve in military forces.

The SDF has rejected accusations that the Kurdish neighborhoods posed any military threat to Aleppo, calling such claims “false and fabricated” pretexts “to justify the siege, shelling and massacres committed against civilians.”

The situation threatens to complicate U.S. efforts in the region, particularly as the Trump administration has worked to establish new relations with al-Sharaa’s government. As van Wilgenburg warned, “The current situation could spark a widespread conflict that could undermine Trump’s policy of creating sustainable peace in the Middle East.”