Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, has become the epicenter of a dangerous new escalation between central government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), plunging northeastern Syria into renewed violence and triggering alarm from Ankara. The flashpoint: a deadly strike on the village of Um Tineh in eastern Aleppo’s Deir Hafer countryside that killed seven civilians — including women and children — and wounded four others.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense has categorically denied responsibility for the attack, instead accusing the SDF of launching rockets toward Um Tineh from its own positions. In a statement carried by state media SANA, Damascus claimed its forces “detected rocket launches from an SDF launcher” targeting not only Um Tineh but also nearby villages of Tel Maaz, Alsa, and Al-Kiyaria. The ministry dismissed SDF accusations as “media evasion,” insisting the Kurdish force is attempting to “falsely accuse the Syrian Arab Army.”
But the SDF fired back with fury. In a blistering statement, it accused pro-government factions — which it described as “loyal to Turkey” — of launching drone strikes followed by artillery bombardment directly into civilian homes around 7 p.m. on Saturday. The SDF released the names of the victims: among them, a 75-year-old woman, a 4-year-old boy, and a 1-year-old infant. “This is not merely media evasion — it is outrageous contempt for civilian lives,” the SDF declared, charging Damascus with “participating in the crime twice: once through artillery, again through denial.”
Tensions boiled over further when, on Wednesday, an SDF sniper reportedly killed a soldier from Syria’s 80th Division near Deir Hafer. By Thursday, two more Syrian soldiers were reported martyred in separate SDF attacks in the same region. Field sources say military alert levels remain high as skirmishes spread even into Aleppo city’s Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood — a historically Kurdish district now witnessing direct clashes between SDF-aligned local forces and advancing government troops.
The violence shatters the fragile March 10, 2025, agreement between Damascus and the SDF aimed at integrating Kurdish civil and military institutions into the central state. Implementation has stalled amid disagreements over decentralization — a demand Damascus rejects outright. Now, Turkey is weighing in. According to the T24 news site, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense issued a stark warning: “The SDF’s failure to abide by the March 10 agreement once again proves it threatens regional peace.” Ankara reaffirmed its support for the “One State, One Army” principle and pledged continued cooperation with the Syrian government against “terrorist organizations.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking in New York after meeting Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Shara, emphasized the SDF must honor its commitments. Meanwhile, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria condemned the Um Tineh massacre as a “horrific crime,” urging international accountability and protection for civilians caught in the crossfire.
Map: Wikipedia Commons