A Syrian army soldier has been killed in an attack by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern Aleppo countryside, the Syrian Ministry of Defence has announced.
In a statement issued by its media and communications department, the ministry said two SDF groups launched an assault before dawn on Tuesday against army positions in the Tal Maaz area.
According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syrian army units responded to the attack, repelling the infiltration attempt and forcing the assailants to withdraw to their original positions.
The ministry claimed the escalation was part of a pattern of SDF activity targeting army positions in the Manbij and Deir Hafer areas. It also accused the SDF of intermittently closing roads in Aleppo city, particularly near the al-Layramoun roundabout, in violation of previous agreements with the government.
The ministry urged the SDF to comply with these understandings and to halt what it described as “infiltration, shelling and provocation” against army personnel and civilians in Aleppo and its eastern countryside. It warned that continued actions of this kind would result in “new consequences.”
Escalating Tensions
The incident marks the second reported attack in recent days. On 2 August, the Ministry of Defence said it had repelled an SDF assault on an army position in the Manbij area. In that case, it accused SDF forces of firing rockets at civilian homes in the village of al-Kiyaria, injuring four soldiers and three civilians.
The latest flare-up comes amid stalled negotiations between the Syrian government and the SDF. Damascus accuses the SDF of failing to implement the terms of a 10 March agreement and of hosting a political conference in al-Hasakah that brought together opponents of the government.
The SDF has been a key partner in the US-led fight against ISIS in Syria, but its relationship with the Syrian government has been marked by alternating phases of cooperation and confrontation—ranging from joint opposition to ISIS and Turkish incursions to open disputes over territorial control and political authority.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
