ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Syrian defense ministry accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of attacking civilian homes in Aleppo on late Wednesday, killing at least two. The SDF, in turn, accused government-affiliated forces of initiating the aggression. 

Syrian state media on late Wednesday claimed that the SDF had targeted several villages and towns in the eastern countryside of Aleppo “with mortars and rockets,” leading to the death and injury of several civilians.

“The SDF forces launched a violent and sudden bombing campaign from their control sites in Jirah military airbase and the vicinity of the city of Maskanah, targeting the homes of the people in the villages of al-Kayariya, and Rasm al-Ahmar, and Habouba Kabir in the eastern countryside of Aleppo,” the Syrian Ministry of Defense’s Media and Communications Department told the state-owned Alikhbariah.

“The ministry's forces deployed in the area were mobilized and began targeting sources of fire,” the department added, noting that the attacks on Aleppo killed at least two and injured three others.

The SDF released a statement early Thursday, claiming their forces thwarted “infiltration attempts and artillery attacks,” allegedly launched by Damascus-affiliated armed groups in Aleppo’s Deir Hafer area.

“Our forces affirm that full responsibility for these aggressions lies with the side that initiated the escalation through repeated violations,” the statement asserted, noting “any further attempts at aggression will be met with a decisive response.”

Thursday’s clashes come amid growing tensions and repeated altercations between the SDF and Damascus since the new Syrian government seized power in December 2024.

The two sides have engaged in several similar altercations in recent weeks, with both parties accusing the other of being the instigator.

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.

Reporting by Hevi Karam