Deadly fighting has erupted in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, with government-aligned forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces trading accusations over the violence.
State media said at least two civilians were killed and several others wounded during the clashes, citing local health officials. Syria’s Interior Ministry accused the SDF of launching attacks on government-controlled checkpoints and nearby residential areas, describing the incident as a “treacherous act” against Damascus security forces.
According to the ministry, SDF fighters withdrew from a number of checkpoints around the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods before opening fire. The SDF has rejected that account, insisting it had previously handed over its positions to Internal Security Forces under an agreement reached earlier this year.
The group instead blamed armed factions aligned with the Damascus authorities, accusing them of besieging the Kurdish neighbourhoods for months and provoking the latest violence.
Aleppo’s Kurdish areas were placed under central government authority following an April deal reached after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad, while retaining limited autonomy. A broader agreement also envisaged the integration of Kurdish civil and military structures into the state by the end of 2025, though progress has stalled.
The clashes come amid renewed regional tensions, just hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Damascus and criticised the SDF for failing to honour its commitments. Türkiye views the SDF as linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, while the group continues to maintain close ties with the United States.
SDF forces still control roughly a quarter of Syrian territory, and sporadic confrontations with government-aligned troops have continued across the country in recent months.
SDF forces are waiting for the zero hour and instructions by SDF leadership to storm areas occupied by HTS terrorists if attacks in Aleppo continue
“We could be within hours in Damascus” pic.twitter.com/npq88REBph
— Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) December 22, 2025
