Syrian Forces Clash With Kurdish SDF in Aleppo Governorate

Despite the ongoing integration deal between the Kurdish SDF and the Islamist HTS-dominated government, government forces attacked SDF positions in the Aleppo Governorate today, sparking a number of substantial battles.

Government-linked forces attacked SDF positions in the village of al-Imam before dawn on Monday morning, and the clashes raged for 20 minutes. There had been fights reported over the weekend in and around Manbij, with the government claiming Kurds injured four soldiers and three civilians.

The Defense Ministry condemned the Manbij incident as “irresponsible” and claimed the Kurds attacked them “for unknown reasons.” The SDF, by contrast, said they were attacked by artillery first and were only responding, adding that they held the government fully responsible for the fighting today in al-Imam and elsewhere.

The two sides reached an integration deal back in March, though details were still to be worked out. In talks last week, the SDF rejected US demands for immediate disarmament, insisting it should go through the process.