Two Kurdish civilians were deliberately killed inside their family-run hospital in Aleppo’s Ashrafiyah neighborhood early Friday, relatives confirmed, accusing pro-government armed factions of carrying out a targeted attack.

The victims, identified as pharmacist Ali Osman, 37, and his uncle, hospital administrator Adnan Osman, 58, were found dead in Osman Hospital after the facility was struck by tank fire. Family members stated that despite other medical staff being present, only the two Kurdish men were executed.

“Their bodies are now at the morgue,” said Mohammad Osman, Adnan’s brother, speaking from Denmark. “They were killed because of their identity. This was deliberate.” He reported that after the shooting, assailants stole money and personal belongings from the hospital.

The attack occurred amid escalating clashes in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah. The Syrian Defense Ministry announced a temporary ceasefire in northern Aleppo early Friday, calling on Kurdish forces to withdraw. The United States welcomed the truce announcement, according to U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack.

However, the local Kurdish administration rejected the government’s demands. The General Council of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah issued a statement Friday afternoon refusing to surrender the neighborhoods, declaring that residents are “determined to stay and defend them.”

Relatives emphasized the victims’ non-political roles and their commitment to serving the community. “They were civilians. They had nothing to do with parties or politics,” said Waleed Khoja, a cousin of the victims. “When Ashrafiyah was bombed, they could have left. But they stayed to guard the hospital.”

Osman Hospital, a seven-story facility built by the Osman family in 2013, provided critical services including surgeries and childbirth. It has now been rendered inoperable due to structural damage sustained in the attack.