At least two people were killed after fighting broke out between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, as tensions rise ahead of a deadline to integrate the SDF into Syria’s state institutions.
According to a medical source cited by Al Jazeera, two civilians were killed and at least 11 others injured on Monday when SDF fighters opened fire on Syrian security positions near the Sheihan and Lairmoun roundabouts. The violence prompted dozens of families and local workers to flee the area, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
Al Jazeera correspondent Ayman Oghanna, reporting from Damascus, said the clashes involved heavy machine-gun fire and mortar shelling, forcing residents to leave their homes amid growing fear.
The Syrian Civil Defence said two of its rescue workers were wounded after their vehicle came under fire, while two children sustained various injuries from gunfire near the Sheihan roundabout.
Syria’s Ministry of Interior later confirmed that two members of the security forces, including a soldier, were injured in what it described as a “treacherous” attack by the SDF on joint checkpoints in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods.
The SDF denied targeting civilian areas and instead accused factions aligned with the Syrian government of carrying out the attacks, a claim firmly rejected by Damascus.
After several hours of fighting, both sides agreed to halt hostilities late Monday. Syrian authorities said the army had been ordered to stop targeting sources of fire, while the SDF announced it had instructed its forces to cease responding to attacks.
Regional Talks Add to Tensions
The violence coincided with a visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Damascus, where he held talks with Syrian officials on the future integration of the SDF into the country’s new army.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took office after the removal of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad last December, signed an agreement with the SDF in March to integrate the group into state institutions. However, the deal left many details unresolved, and implementation has since stalled.
According to Al Jazeera, the high-level Syrian–Turkish talks may have acted as a trigger for the clashes. Damascus had previously proposed merging roughly 50,000 SDF fighters into three divisions under partial Syrian control, a plan strongly opposed by Ankara, which has pushed for dismantling the SDF’s existing command structure.
Integration Dispute Fuels Instability
The US-backed SDF has controlled large areas of northeastern Syria since 2015, making its future role a highly sensitive issue. Analysts warn that disagreements over integration pose a serious threat to Syria’s national unity.
Samy Akil, a nonresident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said the lack of trust between the two sides has slowed progress. He noted that the SDF faces pressure to relinquish control of territories and integrate into the Syrian armed forces, while Damascus is under strong diplomatic pressure from Turkiye to resolve the issue.
Akil suggested the clashes may have been intended to disrupt negotiations or increase leverage in ongoing talks.
Disagreements Over Military Structure
A key point of contention remains whether the SDF would join the Syrian army as a unified force or be dissolved, with fighters absorbed individually. Turkiye opposes allowing the SDF to remain intact, citing its links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization.
Kurdish officials have indicated that a preliminary understanding exists to integrate three SDF-affiliated divisions as units, but it remains unclear how close both sides are to final agreement.
With the original deadline for implementing the March deal set for the end of the year, fears are growing that failure to reach a resolution could spark wider military confrontation.
Speaking alongside his Turkish counterpart, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani accused the SDF of delaying implementation, saying Damascus had not seen genuine commitment to the agreement. He added that a recent SDF response to a Syrian proposal is currently under review.