‘Sleeping with missiles flying quite an experience’: S’porean man holidaying in Syria caught up in clash between army & SDF

A Singaporean man in Syria recounted a harrowing experience after clashes between the Syrian army and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) broke out in Aleppo on Jan. 6.

Speaking to Mothership, Shane Wang, 42, said that he heard a series of extremely loud explosions starting around 4:45pm (Syria time).

Slept with missiles firing until 5am

Wang was walking along the streets of Aleppo when he heard extremely loud "bangs".

He then spoke to locals and confirmed that violence had ensued between the two groups.

The fighting had taken place around three kilometres away from Riga Palace Hotel at Zaki al-Arsuzi Street, where he was staying.

He told Mothership that he felt "a little shocked at first", adding that he was "definitely a little worried that it might affect the city".

But Wang remained calm, as did the locals.

"They seemed unaffected. Almost like they are used to it," he added, noting that the explosions continued through the night until about 5am on Jan. 7.

"Sleeping with missiles flying just three km north of my hotel is quite an experience," he said.

Wang added that he had "woken up to the sound of the explosions, then slept like a baby."

There was also no additional security near or within the hotel premises, and "everyone was acting normal".

In videos shared with Mothership, Wang captured the shelling carried out at night in the distance.

Left Aleppo

Wang said that he had "planned to leave immediately", but locals had advised him to wait until daylight "due to safety and security checkpoints".

He eventually left the city at 8am on Jan. 7 to head to Damascus.

When asked if there were additional security checks in light of the clashes, Wang said that there weren't any.

"But I saw some tanks on the roads going into Aleppo," he noted.

He added that he will leave Syria on Jan. 8 as part of his travel itinerary, although he had "wanted to leave immediately" when the fighting in Aleppo broke out.

Wang said that his final destination in the region is Beirut in Lebanon, before making a stop in Turkey for his flight back home to Singapore.

Syria is one of the stops in his Horn of Africa and Middle East solo trip.

He was previously in Somaliland in Dec. 24, 2025, and witnessed residents of the self-declared republic celebrating on the streets after it was declared an independent state by Israel.

Wang said: "I like travelling to unusual destinations. And they tend to have a bit of a dark history, and often misunderstood in the media. Exploring and understanding them has more meaning in my opinion."

Four people killed, several others injured: Syria media

According to Syrian state media Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), at least four people have died and 18 have been injured following the attacks in Aleppo.

The shelling by SDF was conducted on residential neighbourhoods, and residents of two neighbourhoods were also blocked from seeking refuge in safe areas via two humanitarian corridors designated by the Syrian Arab Army.

Al Jazeera reported that fighting ensued after SDF drones struck a military checkpoint near Deir Hafer in the province's east.

The Syrian government said soldiers will be deployed, raising concerns that the clashes could further escalate.

The attacks came two days after senior SDF leaders travelled to Damascus for talks on a military merger, although it ultimately fell through.

Top images by Shane Wang