ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syria’s defense ministry on Thursday announced two army soldiers were killed following an alleged attack by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) overnight in the Raqqa countryside.

The Kurdish-led forces “attacked Syrian Arab Army positions in the Maadan area of Raqqa countryside after midnight… resulting in the martyrdom of two soldiers and injuries to others,” the ministry told state media.

The ministry added that the SDF “seized several sites,” amid the offensive, however, the Syrian army’s “direct counterattack” reportedly led to “regaining control of the positions and driving out the attacking forces.”

Local sources told Syrian state TV that the crossing between Ghanem al-Ali and Albuhamad was closed following the clashes.

The SDF on Wednesday evening reported having shot down two drones, allegedly launched from positions held by Damascus-affiliated forces.

Footage released by the SDF showed the drones were operated by fighters wearing Islamic State (ISIS) patches.

The statement asserted that the attack was launched by “foreign militants affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization, stationed at positions held by Damascus government-affiliated factions, directly opposite the defensive lines of the Syrian Democratic Forces.”

The SDF claimed that these findings “confirm” that several factions within the Syrian government are cooperating with the organization.

Recent months have witnessed intermittent skirmishes between the SDF and forces affiliated with the new Syrian government, which seized power in December 2024 after toppling the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Since that juncture, and despite the existence of a March 10 agreement that would see the Kurdish-led forces brought under the auspices of the new government's military, relations have remained palpably frosty, with Damascus accusing the SDF of harboring separatist ambitions while the latter balks at the administration of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's centralizing moves.

The SDF in late October submitted a list of its commanders to the US-led global coalition for integration into the Syrian army.

Syria recently joined the anti-ISIS coalition following a visit by Sharaa to Washington where he met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi hailed the move as “a pivotal step towards enhancing collaborative efforts and bolstering the initiatives aimed at achieving the enduring defeat of ISIS and eliminating its threat to the region.”