Violent Clashes Erupt Between SDF, Syrian Forces in Aleppo Countryside

(MENAFN) Early Monday, violent confrontations broke out between forces loyal to Syrian authorities and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern Aleppo countryside. Both parties accuse one another of breaching a recently established ceasefire, fueling an alarming rise in hostilities.

According to a statement from the SDF’s media center, their troops exercised a “legitimate right to self-defense” following an attack by factions aligned with Syrian authorities on four SDF outposts in al-Imam village around 3:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT). The SDF said their fighters successfully repelled the “assault” after 20 minutes of fighting.

The SDF placed blame on “undisciplined factions” under the command of Syrian authorities for indiscriminately shelling civilian neighborhoods near the frontline during the weekend, describing the attacks as unjustified. They called on Damascus to rein in these forces, accused Syrian defense officials of falsifying the facts by alleging the SDF initiated the violence, and cautioned that continued “provocations” risk further escalation.

On the same day, the Britain-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights verified the clashes in al-Imam, reporting that both sides used medium and heavy weaponry. By midday, no casualties had been confirmed.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Syrian defense authorities, as reported by a local news outlet, accused the SDF of launching thoughtless rocket attacks targeting civilian homes for unknown reasons.

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