▁area ▁of ▁She ikh ▁Ma q s ud . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁that ▁substantial ▁government ▁or ▁re bel ▁forces ▁moved ▁into ▁Kur d ish ▁areas . ▁The ▁area ▁had ▁been ▁regarded ▁as ▁neutral ▁with ▁Kur d ish ▁milit ia ▁cl ash ing ▁with ▁both ▁re bel ▁and ▁army ▁units . ▁The ▁re bel ▁unit ▁responsible ▁was ▁alleg edly ▁the ▁Li wa ▁al - T a wh id ▁brig ade ▁who ▁reported ly ▁told ▁the ▁loc als ▁that ▁We ▁are ▁here ▁to ▁spend ▁E id ▁with ▁you . ▁Ash raf i ye h ▁is ▁important ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁height s ▁and ▁controls ▁routes ▁between ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁south ▁of ▁Ale ppo . ▁Pre vious ▁re bel ▁attempts ▁to ▁move ▁into ▁the ▁district ▁had ▁been ▁rep elled . ▁Reb els ▁were ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁taken ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Sy ri ac ▁quarter . ▁ ▁Anal yst ▁Josh ua ▁Land is ▁said ▁that ▁according ▁to ▁reports ▁he ▁had ▁received , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁army ▁had ▁retre ated ▁from ▁the ▁Ale ppo ▁center , ▁allowing ▁the ▁F SA ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁central ▁Christian ▁neighborhood s ▁of ▁Jed ida ▁and ▁Q ad ime . ▁The ▁claims ▁were ▁un ver ified ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁rep or ters ▁on ▁the ▁ground . ▁Loc als ▁from ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁district ▁of ▁Al - Z uk ur ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁F SA ▁had ▁entered ▁their ▁district ▁leading ▁to ▁cl ash es . ▁ ▁An ▁a ide ▁to ▁colon el ▁Ri ad ▁al - As a