Clashes Erupt Between Syrian Government Forces and Kurdish Fighters in Aleppo
Aleppo, Syria – Violent clashes broke out Monday night between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters, including members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the city of Aleppo, multiple media outlets reported.
The north Press Agency reported at least seven people were killed and dozens injured in the exchanges of gunfire, with demonstrations occurring in several Aleppo neighborhoods against the government.
The Syrian Defense Ministry stated, according to Al Arabiya, that the troop movements were part of a pre-planned redeployment. A ministry statement affirmed, “We are committed to our agreement with the [SDF] and have no intention to carry out any military operations.”
The SDF attributed the clashes to “provocations by factions of the interim government and their attempts to advance with tanks.”
The conflict follows agreements reached earlier this year. In April, the Syrian government and the local council of Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods agreed to place the latter under Damascus’s authority, while maintaining a degree of autonomy for Kurdish institutions. A subsequent agreement stipulated the integration of Kurdish civil and military structures into the central government by the end of 2025.
These clashes occur amid broader concerns about escalating tensions and fragmentation within syria, especially following months of reported targeting of minority communities – including Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and Druze - by Islamist factions after the ousting of longtime President Bashar Assad. Syrian President ahmed al-sharaa previously stated that all groups would be welcomed under central authority, emphasizing that “all weapons must be under the state’s control.”
