Clashes between Syrian government troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday left four people dead and others wounded in Aleppo, as Damascus scrambles to integrate the Kurdish-led rebel militia into the regular army.
The Syrian Defense Ministry blamed the militia for escalating violence in the region by targeting civilian and military sites, while SDF leaders blamed the casualties on “indiscriminate” bombing by government forces.
Syrian state media reported Wednesday that all government buildings would be closed as SDF and government leaders meet to negotiate an end to the clashes. The Aleppo airport will also be closed Wednesday.
Tuesday’s clashes are the latest in flare-ups between the SDF and the Syrian army in Aleppo. The two sides had signed an agreement in early 2025 that would integrate the SDF into the regular army by the end of the year.
However, the SDF has been reluctant to integrate and give up the hard-won autonomy it enjoyed during the last years of Syria’s civil war. The group controls much of northeastern Syria, where much of the country’s oil infrastructure remains, and has significant pockets of influence in major cities like Aleppo.
Additionally, ethnic clashes between Alawite and Druze minority groups over the past year have degraded the SDF’s trust in Damascus, with Kurdish citizens fearing mass killing campaigns if the SDF lays down its arms.
Reports in December suggested that Damascus had little faith in SDF negotiators having any interest in advancing the integration deal, arguing that the organization was stalling talks for political reasons.
The stalled talks led to increased fighting in Aleppo in late December, with fighting concentrated in the city’s predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafiyah.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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