At least three people, including a Syrian soldier, were killed after clashes broke out between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern city of Aleppo, Syrian officials said.
Syria’s defence ministry stated that three soldiers were also wounded after SDF forces launched drone attacks on a military checkpoint near Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo province. Heavy machine-gun fire and armed confrontations were reported in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighbourhoods.
The ministry said it would respond to what it described as “aggression” in an appropriate manner.
The violence follows recent talks between an SDF delegation and the Syrian government in Damascus. The discussions, which have since stalled, focused on the possible integration of SDF fighters into Syria’s national army.
Clashes between the two sides have flared repeatedly in recent months. At least two people were killed in similar fighting in Aleppo late last month.
Meanwhile, tensions have also escalated in southern Syria. Israeli forces launched an incursion on Monday into the Quneitra countryside, with military vehicles entering the village of Saida al-Golan. According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, Israeli soldiers established a checkpoint and carried out raids on several homes in the area.
