Aleppo (TDI): Tensions flared on Tuesday in eastern parts of Aleppo province as Syrian government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) exchanged attacks, raising fears of a wider confrontation following several days of unrest in the region.
Although no immediate casualties were reported, the fighting comes at a sensitive time, with talks stalled over the integration of thousands of SDF fighters into the national army. The Syrian military earlier announced that areas east of Aleppo city had been designated a restricted military zone, citing security concerns.
Eastern Aleppo has long served as a fragile dividing line between territories controlled by Damascus and vast areas in northeastern Syria governed by the SDF. According to a statement issued by the Kurdish-led force, government troops began shelling locations in the Deir Hafer district. The SDF later claimed that villages south of Deir Hafer were struck using explosive-laden drones, artillery fire, and rockets.
State media presented a different version of events. Syrian television reported that SDF units launched drone attacks against the village of Homeima, situated on the opposite side of the frontline.
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The exchange followed violent clashes in Aleppo city last week that forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Those confrontations ended over the weekend after Kurdish fighters withdrew from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. Aleppo’s governor, Azzam Ghareeb, subsequently announced that government forces had regained full control over Sheikh Maqsoud and the nearby Achrafieh district.
Damascus has accused the SDF of reinforcing its positions near the towns of Maskana and Deir Hafer, roughly 60 kilometers east of Aleppo. The army also called on armed groups to pull back beyond the Euphrates River.
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On Saturday, a drone strike hit the Aleppo governorate headquarters shortly after two cabinet ministers and a local official concluded a press briefing. The SDF has rejected accusations linking it to the attack and denied building up forces in the area.
