Damascus asks Turkey-aligned factions to prepare ops against SDF: SOHR
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Damascus directs Turkey-backed factions to act against the SDF near Deir Hafer and the Tishreen Dam as tensions escalate in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
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US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) open fire on Islamic State militant positions in Baghouz, Syria, March 18, 2019 (AP)
Officials in Damascus have asked Turkey-aligned factions to prepare for military operations against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Deir Hafer area and along the Tishreen Dam axis, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The observatory reported on Monday that the Damascus leadership requested that the aforementioned operation not take more than a week, aiming to pressure the SDF into accepting an agreement with Damascus.
This comes amid rising tensions between the SDF and the interim government in Damascus, marked with intermittent clashes near SDF territories.
SDF, Turkish-backed Syrian factions clash in Aleppo
Fighting escalated on September 28 between the SDF and Turkish-backed Syrian factions, as the groups exchanged artillery fire, with more than ten shells striking the area around the Tishreen Dam in eastern Aleppo countryside, according to SOHR reports.
The observatory noted that this shelling is part of a broader escalation of military tensions in the area, amid ongoing clashes and reciprocal strikes, which reflects the fragility of the security situation and the persistent instability along the contact lines between the opposing forces.
The SOHR added that this fighting came after reports emerged of the factions deploying suicide drones and long-range artillery to forward positions, including near the sugar factory, while also reporting that an SDF drone had targeted Turkish-backed "National Army" factions in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
The March 10 agreement, stalled integration
The clashes come as the SDF navigates its strained relationship with the new Syrian administration following the fall of the al-Assad regime in December 2024. On March 10, 2025, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark agreement with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, aiming to integrate SDF military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state.
The deal promised control of borders, oil and gas resources, and constitutional guarantees for Kurdish rights. However, implementation has stalled, and since August 2025, clashes between the SDF and Syrian government forces have escalated.
Recent incidents included deadly confrontations near Dayr Hafir, al-Khafsah, and the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo. On September 21, mutual shelling in Umm al-Tineh killed at least seven civilians, according to the observatory.
Turkey’s pressure on Damascus, SDF
Turkey has positioned itself as a key actor in the war, warning it is prepared to support military operations against the SDF if the March 10 agreement continues to stall. Ankara views the Kurdish-led force as an extension of the PKK and has pressured Damascus to scale back cooperation with the SDF.
As of late September 2025, the March 10 agreement remains largely unimplemented, with both sides trading accusations over ceasefire violations.
