France, Jan. 10 -- Government forces began striking the Sheikh Maqsud district overnight after the Kurdish fighters defied a deadline to withdraw during a temporary ceasefire.

In the morning, the army announced the "completion of a full security sweep of the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood", while urging residents to stay in their homes due to the continued presence of Kurdish forces.

AFP correspondents in Aleppo said shelling in the area continued even after the announcement.

A military source previously told the official SANA news agency that "a number of SDF members" -- a reference to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces -- had been arrested during the operation.

In a statement posted by the Ministry of Defence, Syria's army said "...