ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Tensions escalated late Saturday between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after Damascus accused the SDF of attacking army units in Manbij and launched strikes against the Kurdish-led group. The SDF denied the allegations and accused the army of attacking “without justification.”

In a statement to state media on Saturday evening, the Syrian defense ministry claimed that the army had been able to “repel an infiltration operation” by the SDF on one of the their deployment points in the countryside of Manbij near al-Kayaria village.

The ministry later accused the Kurdish-led forces of carrying out rocket strikes in Kayariya and its surroundings, leaving at least four army personnel and three civilians wounded.

Early on Sunday, the defense ministry said they had located a rocket launcher and a field cannon east of Aleppo province which were allegedly used by the SDF, and announced that the army was conducting “precise strikes targeting the sources of fire.”

The SDF denied the allegations and accused “undisciplined factions” within the government forces of continuing to “provoke” and attack lines of contact. The factions “indiscriminately” shelled populated areas with more than ten artillery rounds on Saturday night, “without justification,” said the SDF, stressing that they responded to the sources of fire in exercise of their right to self-defense.

“The Ministry of Defense’s attempts to distort facts and mislead public opinion do not contribute to security or stability. Meanwhile, our forces have demonstrated the utmost restraint despite ongoing provocations of these factions, who have continued to dig trenches and transfer militants over the past period, confirming their intentions for escalation,” read the SDF statement.

The SDF stressed the need to respect the de-escalation arrangement, while calling on Damascus to fulfill its responsibilities and “rein in the unruly elements operating under their command.”

After months of deliberation and negotiations, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement in March to officially integrate the Kurdish-led forces and all other institutions in northeast Syria into the Syrian state institutions.

Despite this, disagreements still run deep between the Kurdish authorities and Sharaa’s government about the model of governance in Syria, with Sharaa aiming to consolidate power and maintain full sovereignty over all Syrian territories, while the Kurds advocate for a federal state where they maintain a degree of self-governance.

Abdi and other representatives of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) were set to meet with Syrian officials in Paris last week; however, the meeting was abruptly canceled without a reason being given.

The meeting was set to discuss governance and security arrangements in northeastern Syria.

A day later, Syria, France, and the United States in a joint statement agreed that it is imperative to support political transition and national reconciliation in Syria, and emphasized the importance of holding talks between the Syrian government and the SDF “as soon as possible” to discuss the implementation of the March agreement.