The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces fired rockets overnight at Syrian army positions near the Euphrates and tried to infiltrate the area, the Damascus authorities said on Sunday, in the first clashes since US-sponsored talks between the two sides faltered last month.
The Syrian government and the US-backed SDF have blamed each other for starting the hostilities. Tension escalated after President Ahmad Al Shara and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi failed to meet under US auspices in July. The discussions were aimed at bringing the SDF under national army control and initiating a peaceful government takeover of areas under Kurdish control.
The official Syrian news agency said four soldiers and three civilians had been wounded in Manbij, north-eastern Syria. The army has “repulsed an infiltration attempt” by the SDF, after a rocket had been fired into the area, it said.
The Syrian army said it was dealing with the attack. The SDF said that after pro-government troops had started the fighting by shelling residential areas, its own troops used their “legitimate right to respond”. It accused the government of “seeking escalation” by moving soldiers to the front lines.
Solving the Kurdish issue is a key to stability, especially after waves of sectarian tension in the Alawite and Druze areas of Syria over recent months.
Extending government control to the east of the Euphrates, which is mostly under the control of the SDF, has been a main goal of the government since the removal of Bashar Al Assad in December. Thomas Barrack, the US envoy to Syria, supports this quest and criticised the SDF for not thinking in nation-building terms.
The SDF's position as Washington's main ally in Syria has been undermined after the US began establishing ties with Mr Al Shara's government in May, shifting its priority to stability in the country. In June, the US began lifting sanctions on Syria and revoked the terrorist designation from HTS.
However, the SDF has resisted, demanding a federal system and keeping the forces as a unit in any new Syrian army formations while preserving its organisational structure. But Damascus has opposed this.
An official in the SDF, who requested anonymity, said despite Mr Barrack’s criticism, the SDF retains strong support in US security circles, especially for countering ISIS, a role the Damascus authorities would struggle to fill. The government is controlled by HTS, a splinter group formerly linked to Al Qaeda and lead by Mr Al Shara.
The official highlighted a recent government military campaign in the mostly Druze province of Sweida as “hurting Al Shara’s counterterrorism credentials” in Washington.
This year, the Pentagon allocated $130 million for groups in Syria with which it has linked up in counter-ISIS operations, mainly the SDF, in its 2026 budget.
US backing for the SDF has prevented Mr Al Shara from consolidating his control over the entire country since the downfall of the former regime in December.
A March 10 agreement between Mr Al Shara and Mr Abdi ran into problems after the SDF convened a conference of Kurdish political groups in April that demanded Syria be governed under a federal system.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22
One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth
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6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
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7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Gothia Cup 2025
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1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
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Ben Okri,
David Haye record
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Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Inter Milan v Juventus
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