Syria
Syrian government forces (left) and SDF members (right). Photos: SANA/SDF Press. Graphic: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish forces in Aleppo said on Friday that they had responded to an attack by forces affiliated with Damascus. Syrian state media reported hours earlier that one member of the government forces was injured in the exchange of fire.
The Kurdish forces, also known as Asayish, said in a statement that one of their checkpoints in Aleppo was targeted by two rocket-propelled grenades (RPG-7) “fired by factions affiliated with the Damascus government, resulting in heightened tension in the surrounding area.”
Asayish added that their forces carried out a “limited response strictly within the framework of the legitimate right to self-defense.”
The state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) claimed earlier in the night that the SDF had targeted one the checkpoints of the state-linked Internal Security Forces in Aleppo, injuring one of their members.
The SDF-affiliated Asayish has controlled the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in the city since the start of the Syrian civil war more than a decade ago.
Despite the landmark agreement between the SDF and Damascus, which includes a nationwide ceasefire, clashes between the SDF and groups affiliated with the transitional government continue, especially in both quarters.
The Syrian interior ministry claimed in a statement that one of their members was killed by SDF snipers in the Kurdish neighborhoods. State media reported that the government had blocked access to the place where the fighting took place.
Asayish later published a photo purportedly showing the deployment of tanks and heavy weapons by Damascus to Ashrafiyeh neighborhood "in a new escalatory move."
SANA also published footage purportedly showing explosive-laden drones downed by the Syrian army near the strategic Tishreen Dam. It claimed that the SDF had launched the drones toward army positions in the area. The SDF have not commented on the incident.
Updated at 11:36 pm
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment