Three civilians were killed and several people injured, including children, security forces, and civil defence workers, by fire from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Aleppo on Monday, in an attack that prompted dozens of families and factory workers to flee the area, Syrian authorities said.
SDF terrorists targeted a checkpoint between the Shayhan and al-Layramoun roundabouts with machine-gun fire and mortar shells, forcing residents and workers to leave the surroundings of the al-Layramoun neighbourhood, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
A civilian was killed after SDF forces shelled multiple neighbourhoods in Aleppo with mortars and rockets, the agency added.
SDF shelling also struck al-Razi Hospital in the city, SANA reported without immediately providing details on casualties or damage.
The outlet said two children suffered various injuries from gunfire near the Shayhan roundabout in Aleppo. It also reported fires breaking out in the Jamiliyah and Sheikh Taha neighbourhoods as a result of SDF shelling and gunfire.
The Syrian Civil Defence said that a child and a woman were also killed and a young girl was wounded when SDF forces shelled a residential home in the Jamiliyah neighbourhood.
The agency also reported that two of its members were wounded by SDF gunfire near the al-Ashrafieh neighbourhood.
Security measures intensified
The defence ministry’s media and communications office told SANA that SDF forces launched a sudden attack on positions of the Internal Security Forces and the Syrian army around al-Ashrafieh, causing injuries.
The office said Syrian army units responded to the source of fire, accusing SDF militants of targeting civilian homes, residents and army and security positions around the al-Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods.
The Interior Ministry said SDF forces stationed in Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafieh carried out “a surprise attack” on Internal Security Forces manning joint checkpoints after an abrupt withdrawal, opening fire despite existing agreements.
The ministry said the attack wounded a security member and a soldier, in addition to causing multiple injuries among civil defence personnel and civilians.
The state-run Alikhbariya TV said the attack had led to the closure of the Aleppo–Gaziantep Road in the area.
The SDF is dominated by the terrorist group YPG, the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.
On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
Syrian authorities said in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreement.
The Syrian government has been intensifying security efforts since the fall of the Bashar al Assad regime after 24 years in power.
