The Syrian Ministry of Defense’s Media and Communications Directorate said that military patrols from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) infiltrated Syrian army positions in the Tell Maaz area, east of Aleppo, at dawn on Tuesday, August 12. The incident sparked heavy clashes that killed one Syrian army soldier.
According to the ministry, army units responded to the source of fire in line with the rules of engagement, foiled the infiltration attempt, and forced the advancing forces to withdraw to their original positions.
The ministry added that the latest escalation comes as the SDF continues targeting army positions in Manbij and Deir Hafer, alongside intermittent and almost daily road closures in parts of Aleppo city.
It stressed the need for the SDF to abide by signed agreements with the Syrian state and halt infiltration, shelling, and provocations targeting army personnel and civilians in Aleppo and its eastern countryside, warning that “continued actions will lead to new consequences.”
For its part, the SDF on Monday, August 11, accused government forces of attempting to provoke its fighters through what it described as “suspicious” movements in several areas, particularly Deir Hafer and its surrounding villages.
In a statement published on its official website, the SDF said that government forces continue to violate the ceasefire. It claimed that it does not respond to these violations and is exercising “patience,” but warned that it would be forced to respond under the principle of “legitimate defense” if the breaches continue.
The SDF also said that government forces have been gathering in the vicinity of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, increasing their patrols, and flying drones over the area almost continuously.
Enab Baladi’s Aleppo correspondent reported no tensions in the city, except for an SDF attack on a General Security vehicle, which the SDF claimed was accidental. The Ministry of Interior has not provided details on the incident.
The area around Sheikh Maqsoud has seen heightened security deployment, including the entry of military convoys into Aleppo. Joint checkpoints between the SDF and Syrian General Security forces remain in place, with no reported withdrawals.
In its statement, the SDF called on the Syrian government to control its personnel’s conduct, avoid actions that could collapse agreements and understandings, and steer clear of anything that might increase tensions, urging the preservation of civil peace throughout Aleppo and other areas.
The “Castello Road” Rumors
Earlier on Monday morning, Aleppo’s Internal Security Directorate denied to Enab Baladi reports of a closure of the “Castello” Road linking the city’s north to its northern countryside.
Aqil Hussein, head of public relations at the directorate, said that only a partial closure occurred on the Layramoun bypass—also known as the Castello road—due to army deployment. He described the deployment as “precautionary” without elaborating further. Enab Baladi contacted the Ministry of Defense’s media office for clarification but had received no response at the time of publication.
Mohamad Raslan, public relations officer at Aleppo’s Media Directorate, also denied a closure of the Castello road connecting Aleppo to Kafr Hamra in the northern countryside.
The public relations department said in a message to a private journalists’ group that the road was temporarily closed on Sunday for maintenance work.
Two separate sources—one an Internal Security officer—confirmed that they passed through the Layramoun roundabout without any sniping incidents or road closures.
Reports had circulated of security tensions and sniper fire originating from SDF-controlled Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods, which both Hussein and Enab Baladi’s correspondent denied.
They confirmed that joint checkpoints between the Syrian General Security forces and the SDF’s Asayish internal security remain unchanged.
Since the April 1 agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, the two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods have not experienced tensions.
The agreement stipulated the withdrawal of SDF military forces to northeastern Syria, with Asayish personnel remaining in the neighborhoods pending integration into the Ministry of Interior, as outlined in the March 10 deal between Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi.
Joint checkpoints were set up at the entrances to Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud on April 13, accompanied by the removal of earthen barriers leading into the neighborhoods, in line with the agreement.
Experts interviewed by Enab Baladi in a previous report said the Sheikh Maqsoud–Ashrafiyeh deal serves as a “test balloon” for the broader agreement between the government and the SDF, which stipulates the integration of the latter’s security and military institutions into state structures.
The post “SDF” and “Syrian Defense Ministry” Trade Accusations Over Agreement Violations in Aleppo appeared first on Enab Baladi.