ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday said they repelled an attack by factions affiliated with Damascus in Raqqa province, leaving three of their fighters injured.
“In a new assault reflecting the state of chaos and recklessness pursued by some factions affiliated with the Damascus government, our forces today were subjected to a treacherous attack on the axis of Ghanem al-Ali village in the eastern countryside of Raqqa,” the SDF said in a statement.
It added that they “thwarted this reckless attack” that resulted in minor injuries to three SDF fighters and “confirmed casualties” among the attackers.
The SDF accused the pro-government armed groups of using suicide drones and heavy weapons “without any regard for civilian security or the stability of the region.”
“This reckless behavior confirms those parties' insistence on dragging the region toward tension and undermining all efforts aimed at maintaining stability,” the SDF added, noting that their response was proportionate and aimed at preventing further escalation.
The SDF called on “the sponsors of these factions to rein them in and stop their irresponsible practices.”
Pro-government outlet Levant24 reported on clashes it said were between the Syrian army and the SDF on multiple fronts, including Deir Hafer and the strategic Tishreen Dam in eastern Aleppo province, as well as the al-Ghanem al-Ali–al-Buhamad axis east of Raqqa.
The SDF and Damascus have repeatedly traded accusations of carrying out attacks on each other’s forces, despite ongoing talks to implement a March agreement to integrate all civil and military institutions of northeast Syria (Rojava) into Syria’s federal structures. Talks stalled in the summer over disagreements on incorporating the SDF into the Syrian army, but have since resumed. The Kurdish-led administration continues to push for decentralization, a demand viewed cautiously by Damascus.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Thursday that talks with the Kurdish-led forces continue but “will not be rushed.”
Ayid al-Hadi, a member of the SDF’s Raqqa Military Council, recently rejected claims that the force is besieging Raqqa or detaining residents, calling them “completely false” in a video released in late October. He said opposition groups and “foreign agendas” were spreading misinformation and that SDF forces remain in the area to combat the drug trade and terrorism, with support from the US-led international coalition to pursue Islamic State (ISIS) remnants.
Raqqa is the former de facto capital of ISIS in Syria.