SDF, Damascus-affiliated factions clash near Achrafieh in Aleppo

Tensions flared in northern Syria on Monday as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported an attack by factions allegedly linked to Damascus-affiliated factions near Achrafieh district of Aleppo. The incident resulted in injuries to two members of the Internal Security Forces in Aleppo, according to an official SDF statement.

The SDF said the confrontation occurred near the Sheikh Han Roundabout, where one of its checkpoints, jointly operated with the General Security Forces, came under fire while personnel were conducting routine duties. The group described the attack as “an attempted assault carried out by factions affiliated with the Transitional Government in Damascus.”

SDF accuses Damascus of failing to control armed factions in Aleppo
In response, the SDF claimed to have exercised restraint, emphasizing that its actions were “proportional to the nature of the attack, carried out within the right to self-defense,” and aimed at preventing further escalation while ensuring the safety of civilians.

The statement also warned that the Internal Security Forces – Aleppo “will not remain idle in the face of attacks or provocations,” vowing to take “all necessary measures to protect its personnel and the areas under its security supervision.” The SDF held the Damascus government directly responsible for the incident, accusing it of failing to control armed factions operating under its authority.

Meanwhile, conflicting reports emerged from the ground. Medical sources confirmed that five injured individuals, including two members of the civil defense, were admitted to al-Razi Hospital after being struck by SDF sniper fire in the vicinity of Sheikh Han Roundabout.

Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported that the Gaziantep–Aleppo road had been closed near the Lermon and Sheikh Han roundabouts due to SDF military activity in the area. It also confirmed that two civil defense workers were injured by SDF gunfire near Achrafieh.

Integration deadline looms as SDF warns of rising tensions in Syria
As the year-end deadline approaches for integrating the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into a reconstituted Syrian army, conditions along the Euphrates are deteriorating. Skirmishes have resurfaced since mid-March, and the March 10 agreement intended to guide the process remains unimplemented.

In an interview with Amargi at a Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) base west of Raqqa, Sozdar Haci, a YPJ commander and member of both the SDF General Command and the Northeast Syria negotiating team, said on Sunday that talks with the new Syrian government under interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa have stalled. With the deadline looming, she said the process has produced “no steps forward.”

Recent media reports suggesting progress in negotiations have been swiftly denied, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the talks.

Commanders on the ground describe a starkly different picture: frontlines remain tense, political disputes unresolved, and confidence in the proposed Syrian military structure deeply lacking. They say the framework is being imposed rather than negotiated.

Clashes along the Euphrates
Militarily, the situation along the Euphrates remains volatile. Haci said clashes have flared repeatedly in recent weeks as Turkish-backed and Damascus-aligned factions test SDF positions. “They are making the situation more tense,” she said, citing fighting in Tishrin, Qara Quozaq village in the Kobani countryside, and Ghanem Al Ali village near Raqqa.

Although the intensity of fighting has varied, she stressed that hostilities have never fully ceased.

Beyond the clashes themselves, Haci said the involvement of extremist fighters is particularly concerning. “We also realized that ISIS members were participating in those clashes, specifically the Ahrar al-Sharqiya group led by Abu Hatem,” she stressed.

Her remarks echo longstanding SDF warnings that former militants have been absorbed into pro-Damascus formations operating in the area.

Southern fronts also unstable
Similar patterns have emerged farther south in Deir Ezzor. According to Haci, SDF units reinforced their defenses after clashes in Shaqra and successfully repelled advances toward Deir Hafir. “We responded to that and managed to push them back to their previous positions,” she said, adding: “So in general, the situation is quite unstable.”

That instability, Haci argued, is reflected in discussions with Damascus, which she described as stalled and fundamentally imbalanced. “At this stage, I do not see them as negotiations,” she said. “What we had were just talks.”

She accused the government of dictating terms rather than engaging in dialogue. “A negotiation should be a democratic process between two parties, but they are just telling us, ‘it’s like this’ and they want us to accept it.”