ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria (Rojava) issued a stern warning on Monday, accusing groups affiliated with the interim government in Damascus of repeatedly violating a recently signed ceasefire and engaging in provocative activities in multiple areas under SDF control.
In a statement, the SDF said that “groups affiliated with the Damascus government have been attempting to provoke our forces, beginning with suspicious movements in several areas, especially in the vicinity of the town of Deir Hafer [east of Aleppo] and its surrounding villages.”
The Kurdish-led forces emphasized that their personnel “have remained patient and have not responded to these continuous provocations. However, if they continue to target our forces, we will be forced to respond in legitimate self-defense.”
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 10 signed a landmark agreement which outlines the integration of “all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state” and establishes a “ceasefire across all Syrian territory.”
A follow-up agreement, signed in early April reportedly with American representatives, established a joint security framework for the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in northern Aleppo, alongside provisions for continued prisoner exchanges between the two sides.
In Monday’s statement, the SDF further reported that other Damascus-affiliated groups “have been gathering for several days in the vicinity of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, intensifying their patrols. Furthermore, their drones have been flying over the neighborhoods almost continuously in a clear and obvious provocation, with one of them exploding on the outskirts of this area.”
The SDF condemned these actions as clear violations of the agreements and called on the Syrian government to “control the behavior of these rogue elements” and avoid measures that could risk the collapse of the fragile accords. The Kurdish-led forces urged Damascus to commit to de-escalation and to work toward preserving civil peace in Aleppo and across the region.
The statement comes amid mounting tensions over the implementation of the SDF-Damascus agreements.
On Saturday, the Syrian interim government abruptly canceled planned negotiations in Paris with the SDF, citing a recent unity conference held in Hasaka, in eastern Rojava, as a breach of the Abdi-Sharaa agreement.
The conference, which brought together more than 400 representatives from various minority communities across Syria, called for amendments to the transitional constitution, which critics argue grants sweeping powers to interim President Sharaa while marginalizing non-majority groups.
A government source told state media on Saturday, “The government affirms that this conference has dealt a blow to the ongoing negotiation effort. Accordingly, it will not participate in any meetings scheduled in Paris.”
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