Damascus, Dec 23, (dpa/GNA) – Clashes erupted Monday evening in the northern city of Aleppo, between forces affiliated with Syria’s Defence Ministry and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), prompting a wave of civilian displacement amid rising security concerns.
Residents told dpa that heavy weapons were used in the fighting. The SDF attacked positions held by security forces, the Syrian Defence Ministry said.
Local residents also reported the deployment of large numbers of government troops, along the front lines controlled by Kurdish forces.
Meanwhile, the SDF said that two members of its Internal Security Forces in Aleppo were injured after factions affiliated with the Damascus government attacked a checkpoint which they were manning.
In a statement, the SDF described the incident as part of an “uncontrolled escalation” that threatens civilian lives and city-wide security, holding the Damascus government fully responsible.
The state-run Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported that an ambulance was also fired upon. Several people were injured.
Nearly nine months after Syria’s government signed an agreement with the Kurdish-led SDF in March, hopes for swift progress on integrating Kurdish militias into the Syrian military have been stalled, both sides have said.
The agreement follows years of tension over Kurdish autonomy and is seen as a significant step towards national reconciliation after more than a decade of civil war.
Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist group due to its ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), complicating regional dynamics.
GNA