ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday said that Damascus-affiliated forces had carried out attacks near Aleppo's Deir Hafer town and around Tishreen dam, coming days after an extensive military operation by Damascus-linked on Aleppo's Kurdish-majority neighborhoods.

"Damascus government factions are targeting the town of Deir Hafer with artillery shells," said the Kurdish-led force on Tuesday afternoon on X, adding that "no information on casualties has been received so far."

The SDF followed the statement with another one shortly after, accusing Syrian government-linked groups of targeting "the vicinity of Tishrin Dam twice using suicide drones and artillery shelling." The Kurdish-led force said that the strikes near Tishreen dam coincided "with rocket strikes on the village of 'Umm al-Marra' south of Deir Hafir."

Hours before the strikes, the Syrian defense ministry outlined an area in northern Syria, covering Deir Hafer, as a “closed military zone,” under the pretext of alleged SDF mobilization in the area, urging armed groups to “withdraw to the east of the Euphrates. Protect your lives." The SDF has repeatedly denied conducting armed mobilizations in the area.

The developments come against the backdrop of a recent large-scale operation launched by the Syrian government against Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) in Aleppo's Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, aiming to drive the Asayish out of the neighborhoods.

The clashes went on for six days and led to hundreds of civilian casualties and the displacement of more than 155,000 residents.

At least 38 Damascus-affiliated fighters, one Asayish member, and 43 civilians were killed, and over 115 others injured in nearly a week of fighting, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).