The Yezidi residents of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods issued an urgent call for international intervention on Wednesday, warning of intensified bombardment and threats of forced displacement that place their community in immediate danger.

In a statement directed to the Yezidi Spiritual Council in Iraq, Yezidi parliamentarians, and global civil society groups, community representatives said roughly 1,200 Yezidi families are enduring continuous shelling and face eviction. They pleaded for rapid action with Syrian authorities and international organizations to avert a potential massacre.

“We call on you to intervene without delay and contact the relevant parties in Syria, as well as the international community and humanitarian organizations, to prevent a massacre of the Yezidis who are besieged or displaced,” the appeal stated. The community highlighted fears of a repeat of past atrocities against religious minorities in Syria, referencing previous incidents in Suwayda and along the Syrian coast.

The appeal coincides with a stark warning from the Aleppo Internal Security Forces (Asayish), which denied reports of a ceasefire in the area. In a statement on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the Asayish media center said efforts to calm the situation have collapsed and that Damascus government forces are preparing a large-scale offensive. All claims of de-escalation were described as “far from the truth” and intended to mislead the public.

According to the Asayish, government forces have already launched four attacks using tanks and armored vehicles, all of which were repelled by local security forces with support from residents. The statement emphasized that the people of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh are resolved to remain in their homes and oppose forced displacement, holding government forces responsible for any harm resulting from renewed assaults.