BEIRUT, August 12. /TASS/. Troops of the Syrian Transitional government have repelled an attempt by the Kurdish forces to seize positions east of the city of Aleppo (360 km off Damascus), the Defense Ministry said in a statement as quoted by SANA news agency.
It says that two detachments of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition tried to infiltrate the Tall Ma’z area on Tuesday, and one Syrian soldier was killed while repelling their attack.
"Our units forced the enemy to retreat to their original positions with clashes," the statement says. "However, escalation by the Kurdish militias continues in the Deir Hafir and Manbij areas, with SDF patrols daily blocking roads in northern Aleppo near the Leramoun roundabout."
The Defense Ministry calls on the SDF "to implement the agreements signed with the Syrian government, to stop attacks and shelling of army positions, as well as residential areas in Aleppo and its eastern suburbs."
As reported by Sham TV, the SDF command accused "undisciplined groups operating in the ranks of government forces" of provocations and suspicious movements, in particular, in the area of the city of Deir Hafir and the surrounding villages. The last exchange of fire between the sides in the north of Aleppo was recorded on August 3.
On March 10, President for the transitional period Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement, under which Kurdish fighters become part of the armed forces of the transitional government. The parties agreed that all civilian and military facilities, including airports, gas and oil fields located in the territories controlled by the SDF in northeastern Syria, will come under the authority of the new administration in Damascus.