At least two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured after clashes erupted between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, amid sensitive talks on integrating SDF fighters into Syria’s state institutions.
Medical sources said two civilians died and at least 11 others were wounded when gunfire broke out near the Sheihan and Lairmoun roundabouts. Dozens of families and workers fled the area as heavy gunfire, mortar shelling, and machine-gun fire echoed through nearby neighborhoods, according to Syria’s state media.
The Syrian Civil Defence confirmed that two of its rescuers were injured when their vehicle was hit by gunfire while responding to the violence. Two children were also wounded near the Sheihan roundabout.
Syria’s Interior Ministry described the incident as a “treacherous” attack by the SDF on internal security personnel, saying two security staff members, including a soldier, were injured.
The SDF denied targeting civilian areas, instead accusing factions affiliated with the Syrian government of initiating the attacks, claims that Damascus has firmly rejected.
After several hours of fighting, both sides agreed to a ceasefire late Monday. The Syrian army reportedly ordered its units to stop firing, while the SDF issued instructions to halt retaliatory actions.
The violence coincided with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Damascus, where discussions focused on integrating SDF forces into Syria’s new army.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took office after the removal of Bashar al-Assad, signed a deal with the SDF in March to bring the group into state institutions. However, the agreement’s details remain unclear, and implementation has stalled.
Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera correspondent Ayman Oghanna said the high-level meetings acted as a catalyst for the clashes.
Damascus has previously suggested merging around 50,000 SDF fighters into three divisions under partial state control, a proposal Turkey opposes, insisting the SDF’s existing command structure be dismantled.
The US-backed SDF has controlled large swathes of northeastern Syria since 2015. Analysts say its integration remains one of the country’s most delicate challenges, shaping Syria’s internal stability as well as its relations with regional powers.
