GRAPHIC: Julani's Thugs Throw Kurdish Women off Aleppo Buildings | WATCH

Fierce fighting between Syrian government troops and Kurdish-led forces in the northern city of Aleppo has entered its second week, displacing tens of thousands of civilians and drawing accusations of ethnic cleansing and targeted abuses, according to witnesses, rights groups and local officials.

The violence, which erupted on Jan. 6 in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, has killed at least 12 people, including civilians, with reports of indiscriminate shelling by government forces. More than 46,000 residents have fled the areas, amid fears of broader massacres targeting the Kurdish population.

Syrian forces, under the command of the transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared the neighborhoods "closed military areas" and legitimate targets after accusing the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of escalation.

The SDF, which controls much of northeastern Syria, has rejected demands to withdraw or integrate fully into the national army, vowing to defend the enclaves. Videos circulating on social media show armed men affiliated with Syrian security forces moving through Kurdish areas, shouting slogans and engaging in acts of humiliation against captives.

In one clip, a Kurdish detainee is forced to bark like a dog, an incident condemned by rights advocates as part of a pattern of dehumanizing treatment.

Another video depicts the capture of a female Kurdish fighter amid insults. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other monitors have warned of a "scenario of bloody massacres," drawing parallels to past attacks on Kurds in Afrin by Turkish-backed groups.

Turkey, which views the SDF as linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has provided military support to Damascus, including tanks and drones, according to reports.

Critics, including Kurdish activists, allege the assaults are orchestrated with Ankara's involvement and tacit approval from the U.S. and EU, which have welcomed Syria's transition under Sharaa despite his HTS ties.

Washington has mediated ceasefire talks, but a brief truce collapsed, leading to renewed strikes on Jan. 10, including hits on a hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud.

On Saturday, the Syrian army claimed to have seized Sheikh Maqsoud after a "security sweep," though the SDF disputed the assertion, accusing Damascus of disinformation.