The Syrian Ministry of Defence has accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of carrying out a rocket attack on a military position in northern Syria, injuring four army personnel and three civilians. The attack occurred in the countryside of Manbij, a city in northern Syria. According to the ministry’s statement, carried by Syria’s official SANA news agency, the military was able to repel the attack and is working to deal with the sources of fire targeting civilian villages near deployment lines. The ministry added that the military is carrying out “precise strikes”.
However, the United States-backed SDF has denied sole responsibility for the attack, stating that it was responding to “an unprovoked artillery assault targeting civilian-populated areas with more than ten shells” from factions operating within Syrian government ranks. The SDF’s statement did not mention any casualties.
This incident comes after the SDF signed a deal in March with Syria’s new interim government to integrate into state institutions. The SDF has controlled a semi-autonomous region in the northeastern part of the country since 2015, and the deal, if implemented, would bring that territory under the full control of Syria’s central government, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa led the rebel offensive that toppled longtime Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December last year.
The deal reached in March did not specify how the SDF would be merged with the Syrian armed forces, with the SDF insisting its forces must join as a bloc, while Damascus wants them to join as individuals. “While we reaffirm our commitment to respecting the current de-escalation arrangements, we call on the relevant authorities in the Syrian government to take responsibility and bring the undisciplined factions under their control,” the SDF said in its statement.
The Syrian civil war began in 2011, with popular discontent with President Bashar al-Assad’s Ba’athist government leading to large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria. The government met these protests with violence, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and detentions. The conflict escalated into a full-blown civil war, with various factions vying for control, including the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, opposition groups, and jihadist organizations like the Islamic State.
In December 2024, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a major offensive against the Syrian government, resulting in the fall of the Assad regime. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the current interim president, was a key figure in this opposition coalition.
The humanitarian situation in Syria remains critical, with over 12.9 million people struggling to access sufficient quality food and at least 16.7 million Syrians requiring humanitarian aid. The country has been plagued by poverty, with over 90% of Syrians living below the poverty line. The ongoing conflict has decimated Syria’s civilian infrastructure and services, severely affecting access to shelter, healthcare, electricity, education, public transportation, water, and sanitation.