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Heavy clashes broke out between the forces of Syria’s Islamist-led interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern governorate of Aleppo late on August 2, with the two sides exchanging accusations.
The clashes, which continued well into the early morning of the next day, were centered between the towns of Kayarieh and Deir Hafer in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense has accused the SDF, which is backed by the United States-led coalition, of carrying out a rocket attack on a military position, injuring four troops and three civilians.
In a statement published by the official Syrian Arab News Agency, the ministry said the military was able to repel the attack.
“The army forces are working to deal with the sources of fire that targeted the civilian villages near the deployment lines,” the ministry said, adding in a later statement that the military was carrying out “precise strikes”.
However, the SDF said in a statement that it was responding to “an unprovoked artillery assault targeting civilian-populated areas with more than ten shells” from factions operating within the ranks of Syrian government forces. The statement made no mention of casualties.
“The Ministry of Defense’s attempts to distort the facts and mislead public opinion do not serve security and stability, even as our forces exercise maximum restraint in the face of repeated attacks and provocations by these factions. These factions have continued to dig trenches and transfer fighters over the past period, confirming their intentions for escalation,” the statement reads.
Last March, the SDF, which controls vast parts of northern and eastern Syria and has more than 100,000 fighters, signed a deal with the government to integrate into state institutions. The deal did not, however, specify how the group would be merged with government forces.
While both sides continue to stress their commitment to the agreement, no progress in implementing it has been made so far.
In recent weeks, tensions mounted between the government and the SDF following unsuccessful talks in Paris. The two may be heading towards a heated battle. Turkey, the main ally of the government, will likely intervene. Ankara views the Kurdish-led group as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and deems it a threat to its national security.
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is the sdf going to evacuate all kurds from the conflict zone or leave them in the hopes the jihadists will be merciful like they were to the alawites and druze?