Heavy Clashes Erupt Between Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus-Backed Units in Eastern Aleppo

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Fierce clashes broke out on Wednesday between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government units in eastern Aleppo province, with both sides exchanging heavy weapons fire and issuing starkly contradictory statements over responsibility for the escalation.

In a statement carried by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Ministry of Defense accused the SDF of launching “an irresponsible and sudden campaign of heavy shelling” from its positions at al-Jarrah military airport and around the city of Maskanah.

According to the ministry’s Media and Communication Directorate, SDF bombardments targeted civilian homes in the villages of al-Kiyariyah, Rasm al-Ahmar, and Habouba Kabir in eastern Aleppo countryside. The ministry confirmed that the shelling killed two civilians and wounded three others.

The statement added that government forces in the area had been placed on high alert and were “targeting the sources of fire,” with operations still ongoing as of late Wednesday. Damascus underlined that it “will not hesitate to fulfill its duty to protect civilians, defend them, and safeguard their lives and property.”

The SDF, in turn, denied the accusations and claimed that government-aligned fighters were the ones who initiated hostilities. Its Media Center announced that its fighters had foiled an infiltration attempt by “unruly groups affiliated with the Damascus government” in the Deir Hafar area, southeast of the Tabqa region.

“Our forces decisively repelled the infiltration and artillery attacks launched by these groups, and completely thwarted their attempts,” the SDF said in its statement. It added that the Damascus-backed assault posed a direct threat to stability and that the full responsibility for escalation lay with the party that “initiated violations through repeated breaches.”

The statement reassured civilians that the situation was “fully under control” and emphasized the SDF’s readiness to confront any further provocations. “Our forces remain committed to the national duty of defending the land and protecting the people, and any new attempts at aggression will be met with a firm response,” the SDF declared.

Farhad Shami, the SDF Media Center Director, told reporters in a briefing on Wednesday evening that “the situation is calm now.” No details were immediately available on the casualties or damage resulting from the latest round of clashes.

In a post published on Facebook, the SDF reiterated its account of the events:

“Our forces firmly repelled the infiltration attempts and artillery aggression carried out by unruly groups affiliated with the Damascus government in the Deir Hafar area, and thwarted them entirely. We hold the party that initiated this escalation accountable for threatening overall stability. At the same time, we reassure civilians that the situation is fully under control and emphasize our preparedness to confront any future violations.”

The statement, published on Thursday, stressed that protecting the region’s security and dignity remained a top priority.

This latest flare-up comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and Damascus.

Just weeks earlier, on August 25, the SDF reported that its fighters repelled an attack by Damascus-backed groups in Deir Ezzor countryside, accusing the government of “desperate attempts to sow chaos.” That incident involved machine gun fire and drone attacks on an SDF military post, leaving five fighters wounded.

The violence also follows a string of recent clashes, including mortar shelling from government-controlled areas across the Euphrates and abductions of SDF members by armed groups in Deir Ezzor. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported heightened military activity across multiple fronts, including the deployment of reinforcements by both the Syrian army and the SDF along contact lines from eastern Aleppo to eastern Raqqa.

Damascus has reportedly massed as many as 50,000 troops near Palmyra with orders to advance on Raqqa and Deir Ezzor unless the SDF cedes control, according to regional reports.

Beyond the battlefield, the clashes underscore the deepening political rift between AANES and Damascus over the future of the Syrian state. While AANES continues to press for a decentralized and democratic system, Damascus has rejected such proposals, insisting on centralized authority.

The latest confrontation in eastern Aleppo thus represents not only a local military skirmish but also a manifestation of the unresolved political struggle shaping the country’s trajectory.