(MENAFN) Violent confrontations broke out on Monday night in Aleppo between Kurdish fighters, including members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and government troops, according to reports.

At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured during the exchanges of gunfire, as local sources reported. Residents in several Aleppo neighborhoods staged protests against the government amid the violence.

Statements from the Syrian Defense Ministry indicated that the government “was moving as part of its redeployment plan.” “We are committed to our agreement with the [SDF] and have no intention to carry out any military operations,” the statement added.

The SDF, however, blamed the clashes on what they described as “provocations by factions of the interim government and their attempts to advance with tanks.”

Earlier agreements between the Syrian government and local Kurdish councils in Aleppo placed Kurdish neighborhoods under Damascus’ authority while maintaining a degree of autonomy for Kurdish institutions. Another accord outlined that Kurdish civil and military structures would be fully integrated into central government oversight by the end of 2025.

Concerns about further escalation and fragmentation in Syria have grown after months of clashes between minority groups and government forces. Since the removal of long-serving President Bashar Assad, Islamist factions have reportedly targeted minority communities, including Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and Druze. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa emphasized that all communities would be incorporated under central authority and that “all weapons must be under the state’s control.”

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