Heavy clashes broke out Monday between the US-backed terrorist group YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government troops in the northern city of Aleppo, leaving one soldier dead and three others wounded, according to Syrian media reports.
The Syrian Defense Ministry said the army’s recent movements in the north and northeast were part of a redeployment plan following repeated SDF attacks on civilians and government forces.
“We have no intention of launching a military operation and remain fully committed to the March 10 agreement,” the ministry said. “However, the SDF has violated the deal by attempting to seize new positions and villages. The army is acting to protect civilians and its personnel from escalating attacks.”
Local reports said SDF fighters launched assaults around Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, prompting authorities to seal off roads leading to the area. Mosques reportedly urged residents to remain indoors as clashes continued intermittently.
The fighting intensified after YPG/PKK militants attacked Syrian security forces in Sheikh Maqsoud using heavy weapons and targeted the Rahman Mosque area in the nearby Surian neighborhood with mortar fire. Security forces retaliated, and gunfire was still heard in the area late Monday.
Security units reinforced positions around Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in the evening amid heightened tensions. A similar attack by YPG/PKK elements was reported a day earlier in Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo, where clashes also erupted.
