Government Troops, Kurdish-Led SDF Clash in Syria's Aleppo
At least two civilians were killed amid the fighting, and several others were wounded, a state-run news agency reported, citing the city's health authorities. Syria's Interior Ministry pinned responsibility squarely on the SDF, alleging the group's fighters "committed an act of treachery" against Damascus-controlled security personnel.
SDF units on Monday allegedly withdrew from several checkpoints around the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods which they had jointly managed with government troops, before launching assaults on these positions and nearby residential zones, the Interior Ministry claimed.
The SDF has strongly rejected the allegations, claiming the militia have long "handed over their positions to the Internal Security Forces in accordance with the April 1 agreement." The organization attributed the violence to "fragmented factions affiliated with the Damascus government," accusing them of "besieging" the neighborhoods for at least four months.
The Syrian government, which emerged after President Bashar al-Assad was toppled late last year, reached a deal with the local council of Aleppo's Kurdish neighborhoods back in April, granting the districts Damascus oversight while preserving limited self-governance.
A separate agreement stipulated that Kurdish-led civil and military structures would be integrated into the central government by the end of 2025, though progress has stagnated, leaving the SDF controlling approximately one-quarter of Syria.
Multiple confrontations between Damascus-aligned troops and SDF militias have occurred nationwide in recent months. The latest incident comes hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Damascus, accusing the SDF of failing to commit to the agreement and urging it to "cease to be an obstacle to Syria achieving stability, unity and prosperity."
Türkiye has conducted repeated cross-border military campaigns against the Kurdish-led forces in Syria over recent years, characterizing the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization. Simultaneously, the SDF has cultivated strong partnerships with the US, serving as Washington's primary partner in the conflict-ravaged nation.
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