Syrian Army and Kurdish forces clash east of Aleppo after talks fail

Shafaq News – Aleppo

Clashes erupted overnight between Syrian army units and fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) east of Aleppo, Syrian sources reported on Friday.

The fighting broke out near the villages of al-Imam and Rasm al-Krum in the eastern countryside of Deir Hafer district, following an SDF infiltration attempt targeting army positions in the area, the sources said, confirming that Syrian government forces repelled the assault, though intermittent clashes continued, with both sides reinforcing their positions along the contact lines.

The escalation follows the failure of the second round of negotiations between the two sides to implement the March 10 Agreement, which called for the dissolution of the Kurdish-led forces, their integration into the Syrian army, and the handover of administration of northeastern cities to the central government.

Tensions rose sharply during the latest talks, as the SDF delegation insisted on federal autonomy and sought to integrate its forces as a separate bloc within the national army. The discussions, attended by US envoy Thomas Barak, ended without agreement

According to sources familiar with the talks, the SDF delegation demanded constitutional amendments, rejected the handover of any cities in northeastern Syria, and refused to relinquish control over oil fields and border crossings—positions that triggered direct US mediation efforts despite American reservations about some of the SDF's demands.