ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria’s defense ministry on Wednesday denied to Rudaw that its forces had carried out “any attacks” in Aleppo neighborhoods, including Kurdish-majority areas. The remarks follow reports from the Kurdish-led internal security forces in those areas, who said two of their members were recently injured in a drone attack carried out by an “interim government-affiliated” drone.
In a statement to Rudaw, the ministry’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations said, “No attack was carried out by our forces on any neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, whether they are Kurdish-majority or otherwise, and all news in this regard is baseless.”
The statement came two days after Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) - affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - reported, “Two of our forces were wounded this afternoon after a suicide drone belonging to the Syrian interim government targeted a security checkpoint of our forces near the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood.”
In contrast, the Syrian defense ministry accused the Kurdish-led SDF of “launching several attacks on [Syrian] army positions,” including an infiltration attempt in the Tal Ma'az area east of Aleppo, which reportedly resulted in the death of a Syrian soldier.
“These SDF movements and gatherings” reflect “an insistence on military escalation and a non-compliance with the March 10 agreement.”
That agreement, signed by SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, outlines the integration of “all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state” and establishes a “ceasefire across all Syrian territory.”
A follow-up agreement in April, reportedly brokered with American involvement, established a joint security framework for Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh and provisions for prisoner exchanges.
However, the SDF on Monday accused “Damascus-affiliated groups” of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreements by “attempting to provoke our forces,” particularly “near the town of Deir Hafer [east of Aleppo] and surrounding villages.”
The Kurdish-led forces stressed their restraint but warned that continued targeting would compel them to “respond in legitimate self-defense.”
The SDF additionally accused Damascus affiliates of intensifying patrols near Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo and continuously flying drones overhead. They urged the Syrian government to “control these rogue elements” to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire accords and called for de-escalation to preserve peace in Aleppo and beyond.
Adding to the strain, the Syrian interim government on Saturday canceled planned talks with the SDF in Paris on Saturday, citing a recent unity conference in Hasaka as a breach of the Abdi-Sharaa agreement.
The Hasaka conference, attended by over 400 minority representatives, called for amendments to the transitional constitution, which critics argue grants sweeping powers to interim President Sharaa while marginalizing non-majority groups.
A government source then-told state media that the conference “dealt a blow to the negotiation effort” and that Damascus would not participate in future Paris meetings.
Bilal Ahmed contributed to this report.
