According to ANHA (Hawar News Agency), these warnings come after the General Command of Internal Security Forces in Aleppo issued an official statement on September 22, 2025, regarding an attack on security points in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. The statement, cited by ANHA, explicitly described the perpetrators as belonging to "uncontrolled factions affiliated with the Defense Ministry in the Damascus government," raising alarm about the lack of accountability and command structure within the new government's military apparatus. The attack resulted in two attackers wounded and one killed, identified as Mohammed Omar Qasim, a member of the 60th Division operating under the Transitional Defense Ministry.
ANHA's analysis traces the current chaos to December 2024, when Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched its "Deterring Aggression" offensive from Atarib in western Aleppo countryside. After three days of operations, HTS claimed control over Aleppo's 117 neighborhoods on December 1, 2024, coinciding with the former regime's withdrawal. However, ANHA notes that despite HTS's declared control, the ground reality revealed widespread disorder, particularly in eastern neighborhoods where armed groups spread chaotically, effectively undermining centralized control in favor of Turkish influence.
The Kurdish news agency points to the December 28, 2024 Defense Ministry restructuring as a critical moment when the Transitional Government promoted dozens of officers, including Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Chief of Staff Ali Nour al-Din al-Naasan. ANHA emphasizes that this restructuring controversially incorporated individuals accused of war crimes and foreign elements with radical orientations.
The restructuring established 20 military divisions across HTS-controlled territories, with four divisions stationed in Aleppo. According to ANHA's investigation, these divisions incorporated Turkish-backed mercenary groups like "al-Hamzat" and "al-Amshat," alongside hardline factions including the Turkestan Islamic Party.
ANHA's detailed analysis identifies the four military divisions now operating in Aleppo as particularly problematic. The 60th Division, which carried out the recent attack on Kurdish neighborhoods, is led by Saleh Amouri ("Abu Nafi") from Azaz. ANHA reports link him to corruption, embezzlement, establishing prostitution networks, drug trafficking, and violations against civilians in Turkish-occupied Afrin.
The 76th Division, commanded by Saif al-Din Boulad ("Abu Bakr"), a former Syrian intelligence officer who defected in 2012, participated in Turkish military operations and committed violations that led to U.S. Treasury sanctions in August 2023. The 80th Division under Khaled al-Omar ("Abu al-Yaman") is linked to displacement operations and kidnappings, including the capture of Women's Protection Units fighter Çiçek Kobani in 2019. The 72nd Division, partially led by Dogan Suleiman, faces accusations of arms sales to ISIS and conducting kidnapping and extortion operations.
ANHA concludes its analysis with a warning that despite the nominal authority of the Damascus-based Transitional Government, "the real influence in Aleppo belongs to the Turkish occupation army and its proxies," suggesting these "uncontrolled factions" operate as tools of external influence rather than legitimate government forces.