A statement by Syria’s Defense Ministry on Sunday put the blame on the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG in attacks targeting villages in the eastern Aleppo countryside, while firmly rejecting claims that the Syrian army was behind the attack.
In a statement carried by Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the ministry said SDF forces (an acronym for Syrian Democratic Forces, which is dominated by the YPG) struck the villages of Tal Maaz, Alssa and al-Kayarieh in eastern Aleppo countryside with mortar shells on Saturday.
"During the bombardment of areas outside SDF control, Syrian army units observed rockets being launched from an SDF multiple rocket launcher toward Am Teenah village, which remains under SDF control.”
The ministry said the reasons behind the strike were unclear.
The ministry also categorically denied reports by SDF-linked media accusing the Syrian Army of shelling Am Teenah, blaming the SDF for the attack.
It also accused the SDF of a "pattern of targeting civilians in eastern Aleppo countryside,” citing a Sept. 10 attack on al-Kayarieh village that killed two civilians and injured three others.
The ministry vowed to "continue to carry out its national duty to defend Syrians and preserve their security and stability,” and held the SDF fully responsible for what it described as a "massacre committed against residents of Am Teenah village in an attempt to falsely blame the Syrian army.”
The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist group.
On March 10, the Syrian Presidency announced an agreement to integrate the SDF into state institutions, stressing the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting any separatist designs.
