ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The United States early Wednesday called for restraint in northern Syria’s Aleppo after deadly clashes broke out between Kurdish-led forces and Damascus-affiliated fighters in the city’s two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods. 

Tensions surged in Aleppo’s neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh on Monday after clashes broke out between Damascus-affiliated and Kurdish-led forces, with both sides trading blame for the altercations. 

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that one woman was killed in the attacks, while Syrian state media reported four deaths. 

“The United States calls for restraint on all sides,” a State Department spokesperson told The New Region. 

It further urged for the “implementation” and “recommitment” to a landmark March deal between SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which stipulates the integration of Kurdish-led forces and institutions into Syria’s state apparatus. 

“Ambassador [Tom] Barrack continues to support and facilitate dialogue between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces,” the State Department added. 

The repeated clashes between the two sides are threatening to further derail the March deal, with political tensions mounting over failures to complete the agreement. 

Both sides have blamed each other for sparking the fighting. On Tuesday, the SDF said it had gathered “conclusive evidence” that Damascus-affiliated factions initiated the attacks, blasting the Syrian government for attempts to “fabricate misleading narratives.” 

The SDF is the de facto army in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the US-led anti-Islamic State (ISIS) coalition’s main partner on the ground.

In Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh are under the control of local forces affiliated with the northeast Syria (Rojava) administration, while Syrian government forces control the entrances and exists. 

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Monday held the Kurdish-led SDF accountable for delays in implementing the agreement in a joint presser with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, warning of negative consequences for the region.