Syrians displaced by deadly battles in Aleppo begin returning to the city

Displaced Syrians are returning to their contested neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsoud in the northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly battles between the army and Kurdish-led fighters.

More than 150,000 people fled the two Kurdish-held pockets of the city in the five days of fighting that saw almost two dozen people killed.

Aleppo Governor Azzam Ghareeb said Damascus over the weekend took full control of Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh where the clashes took place.

Convoys carrying families that fled to nearby Afrin entered the battered neighbourhood honking their hooters in celebration as people danced on the streets after stepping off buses.

Residents had to wait before being allowed to return after civil defence workers and security forces swept into the area to disarm mines and unexploded shells.

Though work has only just started to restore water and basic services, returnees who feared long-term displacement are elated.

"The return was very pleasant, no one questioned us or stopped us at any checkpoints," said Anas, who returned with his wife and children from Afrin. "Before, we used to be stopped at checkpoints and questioned. Things are much better now than they were before."

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has promised to unify the country after 14 years of war, but progress has stalled on integrating the Kurds' de facto autonomous administration.

Sharaa has faced resistance from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who are wary of his Islamist-led government.

Meanwhile, there were reports of fresh skirmishes between the government forces and the SDF overnight in a tense area in eastern Aleppo province, marking a possible new escalation.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Syrian army earlier declared an area east of Aleppo, the country's second largest city, as a “closed military zone."

Eastern Aleppo province has been a tense frontline, dividing areas under the Syrian government and the large swathes of northeastern Syria under the SDF.

The US-backed group have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in eastern Syria and are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army.