SDF says calm restored in Aleppo after shelling, Damascus denies responsibility
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Monday that calm has been restored to the Deir Hafer area in Aleppo’s eastern countryside, following artillery shelling and clashes that the SDF accused forces of the Syrian transitional government of initiating.
“Calm has returned to the fronts of Deir Hafer following artillery shelling and attacks carried out by suicide drones operated by armed groups affiliated with the Damascus government, which deliberately targeted residential neighborhoods,” the SDF said in a statement.
“This assault comes as a continuation of the same pattern of behavior by these militants, who only days ago committed a massacre that claimed the lives of eight civilians,” the SDF said, adding that such actions form part of a “a systematic practice that underscores their intent to target civilians and ignite chaos in the region.”
In an earlier statement issued on Sunday, the SDF condemned what it described as “new violations” committed by government forces in Deir Hafer.
For its part, the Syrian transitional government’s Ministry of Defense denied the accusations of targeting residential neighborhoods in Deir Hafer.
The ministry added that their forces exercised maximum restraint, limiting their response to defensive action. It confirmed that the forces responded to SDF fire sources targeting the villages of Hamima and al-Kita, east of Aleppo.
Tensions between the SDF and Syrian government forces have been mounting in Aleppo’s eastern countryside, particularly in areas like Deir Hafer, which remains a contested region. Since the Syrian government’s resurgence in the area, there have been periodic clashes, with both sides accusing each other of violating ceasefires and escalating violence.