Damascus, Syria — Armed clashes erupted on Sunday between Syrian authorities-affiliated forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Tal Maaz village, east of Aleppo province, state news agency SANA reported.
According to SANA, a Syrian military unit ambushed a group of SDF fighters attempting to infiltrate military positions in the village. Other SDF fighters based in Um Tina and Deir Hafer opened fire on these positions in an effort to rescue their ambushed comrades.
The initial clashes involved light weapons, but continued shelling by the SDF prompted military forces to respond with heavy weapons and call in reinforcements. It was not immediately clear whether the clashes resulted in any casualties.
The flare-up occurred despite recent coordination efforts between Damascus and Kurdish authorities aimed at presenting a unified stance on national and security issues.
On March 10, the Syrian interim government and the SDF reached a deal to merge all civil and military institutions in Kurdish-controlled areas under state administration. On July 25, Syria’s foreign affairs authority said it had agreed with the SDF to hold consultations in Paris to complete implementation of the agreement.
However, on Aug. 9, the Syrian interim authority announced it would not attend the planned Paris consultations, accusing the SDF of holding a “separatist” conference a day earlier that undermined ongoing integration efforts.
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