Syrian soldier killed in latest clashes with SDF

A Syrian soldier has been killed in the latest clashes with Kurdish-led fighters in the city of Aleppo.

State news agency Sana said the trooper was killed overnight after the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces tried to infiltrate government positions in the east of the city. There was no immediate comment from the SDF.

The clashes are the latest between the Syrian army and SDF to set back hopes of maintaining a truce agreed on in March by the new regime in Damascus. US-sponsored talks between the two sides faltered last month.

The Syrian Defence Ministry said violent clashes erupted in the latest incident, to which the Syrian army responded "in accordance with the rules of engagement". It said troops foiled the infiltration attempt and forced advancing troops to retreat.

The ministry said the SDF continues to "target Syrian army positions" in Manbij and Dayr Hafer, and block roads for residents in Aleppo on an almost daily basis.

It urged the SDF to "abide by the agreements signed with the Syrian state" and to halt "infiltration attempts, shelling and provocation" in Aleppo and the nearby countryside. It warned that the continuation of such actions would have "further consequences".

The SDF says it has come under attack by government forces. On August 4 it accused the regime of a "deliberate escalation" after another outbreak of violence.

A day earlier, the SDF fired rockets at Syrian army positions near the Euphrates and tried to infiltrate the area, the authorities in Damascus said. Four soldiers and three civilians were reported injured.

In March, Syria's government reached a landmark deal with SDF, agreeing to guarantee the citizenship rights of the Kurdish people in Syria, offering a ceasefire and assuring the rights of all Syrians to participate in politics. They also agreed to integrate all civil and military institutions in north-east Syria into the state by the end of the year, bringing most of Syria under government control.

But the March 10 agreement between President Ahmad Al Shara and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi ran into problems after a Kurdish conference the following month demanded Syria be governed under a federal system. Solving the Kurdish issue is regarded as crucial to stability, especially after waves of sectarian tension in Alawite and Druze areas of Syria over recent months.

The Syrian government and the US-backed SDF have blamed each other for starting the latest hostilities. Tensions escalated after the Syrian President and Kurdish militia leader 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.