SDF strikes in Aleppo signal intent to escalate tensions with Damascus

DAMASCUS –

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) targeted army positions and civilian homes east of Aleppo early on Wednesday, signalling a possible escalation just days after withdrawing from two Aleppo districts following intense clashes with government forces.

A military source told the state-run Syrian News Channel that the SDF “attacked army positions and homes around the village of Hamima using drones and heavy machine guns.” It was not immediately clear whether the strikes resulted in casualties. The source added that the Syrian army had responded to the incoming fire.

In parallel, Syrian forces have sent reinforcements towards the town of Deir Hafer in eastern Aleppo countryside to counter the SDF threat. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that troops from Latakia province in the west were dispatched to the Deir Hafer front, although no further details were provided. Earlier, on Monday, the army had already moved units east following intelligence of additional armed SDF elements near Maskanah and Deir Hafer.

Tensions in the region have been further inflamed by repeated attempts to target infrastructure. On Tuesday evening, the Syrian army thwarted an SDF plot to rig and detonate the bridge connecting the villages of Rasm al-Imam and Rasm al-Krom near Deir Hafer. The same day, SDF detonated the Umm Tina bridge near Deir Hafer, which spans the Euphrates and connects government-controlled areas with SDF-held territory. In response, the Syrian army shelled SDF positions around Deir Hafer.

Civilians have also suffered amid the escalating violence. State media reported that a local man was shot dead by SDF snipers while riding a motorcycle in Deir Hafer on Tuesday.

The unrest follows a wave of demonstrations earlier this week, with thousands marching in northeast Syria, particularly in Qamishli, to protest the expulsion of Kurdish fighters from Aleppo. Some demonstrators carried signs supporting Kurdish forces and images of fighters killed in recent battles, and a few even detonated explosives as government forces approached.

The flare-up dates back to January 6, when SDF launched attacks from its strongholds in Aleppo’s Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, and Bani Zaid districts, targeting residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and military positions. According to SANA, 24 people were killed and 129 wounded. The Syrian army subsequently launched a “limited” military operation concluding on January 10, regaining control of the districts while allowing SDF fighters to withdraw to their northeastern strongholds.

Damascus accuses Kurdish forces of reneging on a March 10, 2024 agreement, which stipulated the integration of civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria under government administration, the reopening of crossings, airports, and energy fields, and the withdrawal of armed groups from Aleppo to east of the Euphrates.

The latest incidents underscore the Syrian government’s ongoing struggle to maintain security amid volatile conditions following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8 2024, after 24 years in power.