Injuries have been reported after clashes broke out between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, as a deadline to integrate the SDF into Syria’s state institutions looms.
Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported on Monday that the SDF launched attacks against Syrian security force positions near the Sheihan and Lairmoun roundabouts in Aleppo.
“The Gaziantep-Aleppo road has been closed from the direction of the Lairmoun and Sheihan roundabouts as SDF targets the road,” the news agency said.
The Syrian Civil Defence said two of its rescuers were injured after the vehicle they were travelling in was fired upon by the SDF, while two children also suffered “various injuries” due to SDF gunfire at the Sheihan roundabout.
In a statement shared by SANA, Syria’s Interior Ministry also reported that two security personnel were injured in what the ministry called a “treacherous” SDF attack against the country’s security forces.
“This evening, SDF forces stationed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo committed a treacherous act against the Internal Security Forces stationed at joint checkpoints,” the ministry said.
The violence comes as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Syria’s capital Damascus for talks with Syrian officials on the integration of the SDF into the country’s new army ahead of a looming deadline.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power following the removal of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December of last year, signed a deal in March with the SDF to integrate the group into the country’s state institutions.
But the details of the integration process were left vague, and the deal’s implementation has stalled.
