Deadly clashes erupted in northern Aleppo this week between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, underscoring persistent divisions despite recent talks aimed at military integration.
At least four people were killed and several others wounded as artillery fire and gun battles spread through residential districts, according to state media and local reports.
The fighting came just two days after senior SDF leaders met Syrian officials in Damascus to discuss merging the U.S.-backed force into the national army, a process that has stalled repeatedly.
Heavy fighting was reported in the Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods, areas with large Kurdish populations, as both sides exchanged artillery, mortar, and rocket fire.
For the first time in these clashes, drones were also reportedly used by both parties.
Syrian state media said one army soldier was killed and three civilians, including two women, died in shelling that it blamed on the SDF.
The SDF denied responsibility, saying civilian casualties resulted from indiscriminate fire by factions aligned with the Damascus government.
Local authorities urged civilians to avoid the affected neighborhoods as hostilities continued.
The clashes reflect deeper disagreements over the future of the SDF, which controls large areas of northern and northeastern Syria.
A March 2025 agreement envisioned merging all SDF civil and military institutions into the Syrian state, including control over border crossings and energy infrastructure, but implementation has not begun.
Earlier talks between government officials and the SDF’s top commander ended without progress, with each side accusing the other of stalling.
Failure to integrate the SDF risks renewed instability and could draw in regional actors, including Turkey, which has threatened action against Kurdish forces it considers hostile.
Despite a late December de-escalation agreement, violence has resumed, highlighting the fragility of current arrangements and the unresolved nature of Syria’s internal divisions.