ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Northeast Syria's (Rojava) autonomous administration on Wednesday said that Damascus is responsible for ongoing clashes in Aleppo's Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, amid escalating tensions between Damascus-affiliated and Kurdish-led forces.

"We clearly announce that we are not in favor of any military escalation because the people are the nation, and they are the first and last victims of wars and battles," the administration said in a statement, calling on Damascus to "bear their moral and national responsibilities" for the clashes in the two neighborhoods.

The administration reaffirmed that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are not present in the two neighborhoods, considering an earlier statement by the Syrian government's defense ministry which declared the two neighborhoods a military zone as "a direct threat to target" the two Kurdish-majority civilian zones.

Clashes between Damascus-affiliated and Kurdish-led security forces are ongoing in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, with at least seven people having been killed and 41 others injured, according to SDF-affiliated media. 

Both sides have traded blame for the clashes. The Damascus-linked Aleppo Media Directorate on Tuesday accused the Kurdish-led SDF of initiating the attacks, reporting several casualties among government personnel.

In a statement after the altercations, the Syrian defense ministry declared "that all SDF military positions within the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods of Aleppo are legitimate military targets for the Syrian Arab Army."

The Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) in the two neighborhoods have previously asserted that their ranks are not controlled by the SDF.

The US-backed SDF is the de facto army of Rojava and controls about a third of Syria’s territory. The Kurdish-led force has repeatedly stated that it has no presence in Aleppo, with local Asayish units overseeing security in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods instead.

"Despite our commitment to the agreement reached on April 1st, the other side has failed to abide by its terms and has continued its policies of siege and escalation," the Kurdish-led Rojava administration asserted, adding that the Syrian defense ministry has "so far refused the option of dialogue and insists on a language of threats and war."

An April 1st agreement between the Civil Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods and the Syrian government saw the SDF evacuate the two neighborhoods in Aleppo, leaving the internal Asayish forces in charge.

The escalations follow a high-level meeting on Sunday between an SDF delegation headed by the forces’ chief Mazloum Abdi and officials in Damascus, discussing the implementation of the March 10 agreement concerned with the integration of Kurdish-led units in the country into the Syrian army.

While the Kurdish side asserted that the meeting was held in a “professional and responsible” manner, ensuring “well-considered results,” Syrian sources told state media that it did not lead to any “tangible results.”

The implementation of the agreement has been stalled due to the Kurdish side demanding a democratic integration while Damascus maintains its centralized stance, with frequent clashes between the two sides further escalating tensions.