Syrian military thwarts terrorist incursion by SDF in vicinity of Aleppo
The city of Aleppo, Syria, is once again at the centre of escalating tensions, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian army engage in a series of clashes.
On August 12, 2025, the Syrian Defense Ministry reported that SDF patrols attempted to infiltrate Syrian army positions in the Tell Maaz area east of Aleppo. The infiltration led to heavy clashes, resulting in the death of one Syrian army soldier. The Syrian army responded with gunfire, repelling the SDF groups and forcing them to withdraw to their original positions.
The SDF has been consistently targeting army positions in Manbij and Deir Hafer and carrying out intermittent road closures in parts of Aleppo city. The Syrian Defense Ministry warned that continued SDF provocations, including infiltration and shelling, would lead to "new consequences."
The SDF, in turn, accused Syrian government forces of suspicious movements intended to provoke its fighters, particularly around Deir Hafer and nearby villages. The SDF also warned it may respond in self-defense if ceasefire violations by government forces persist.
The SDF, it should be noted, is mainly composed of elements from the terrorist organisation PKK/YPG. This has been a point of contention in past negotiations aimed at integrating the SDF into the Syrian army.
In a bid to address these issues, a critical meeting took place in Amman between the foreign ministers of Jordan, Syria, and the U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack. The meeting, which may have been a response to the recent infiltration attempt by SDF groups in eastern Aleppo near Tel Maaz, aimed to discuss the Syria dossier. It remains unclear if any concrete decisions or agreements were reached, or if it will have any direct impact on the ongoing tensions in the Aleppo region.
The infiltration attempt occurred at around 2:35 a.m. on Aug. 12, and the meeting in Amman took place shortly thereafter. The Syrian Defense Ministry has reported escalations involving the SDF in the Aleppo region, and the SDF has violated agreements with the government, as per the ministry's statements. The ongoing tensions are part of a larger issue, as attempts to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army have thus far failed.
Read also:
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
- Court petitions to reverse established decision on same-sex marriage legalization
- Proposed Standardization of Food Labeling Laws Among Member States by the Commission
- Experimenting with Merz's Germany has stretched into an extended period of time, resembling a numerous three-month duration.
