Kurdish-led forces launch attacks in Syria, injuring 7

Damascus, Aug 3 (IANS) The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched rocket and artillery attacks in northern Syria, injuring at least seven people, including four Syrian soldiers and three civilians, state media reported, citing the Syrian Ministry of Defence.

The attacks targeted a village near Manbij in the northern Aleppo province, using multiple rocket launchers and artillery shells "irresponsibly and for unknown reasons," said the ministry.

A barrage of rockets and artillery shells reportedly damaged civilian homes and prompted a swift military response from Syrian army units in the area, it said.

The defence ministry said that the Syrian forces repelled an infiltration attempt by SDF fighters near one of its military posts west of Manbij, reports Xinhua, quoting Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

In response, the Syrian forces launched "precise strikes" against SDF artillery positions, including a rocket launcher and field cannon detected in eastern Aleppo.

The flare-up comes despite recent coordination efforts between Damascus and Kurdish authorities aimed at presenting a unified stance on national and security issues.

The reasons behind the sudden escalation remain unclear.

In March, the Syrian interim government and the SDF reached a deal on merging all civil and military institutions in the Kurdish-controlled region under state institutions, according to SANA, the Syrian state news agency.

Last month, the Syrian interim government reaffirmed its rejection of any form of partition following a meeting between Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the Kurdish-led SDF, in Damascus.

In a statement carried by al-Ikhbaria TV, a government source had said the administration welcomes the integration of SDF fighters into the national army within legal frameworks. It also called for the restoration of state institutions in northeastern Syria to end the administrative vacuum and ensure essential public services.

Abdi and al-Sharaa struck an accord for integration in March with US backing, but its implementation has been delayed due to disagreements between the two parties.

Warning against delays in implementing the accord, the statement said that "betting on separatist projects or foreign agendas is a losing wager" and urged a return to a unified national identity.

It reiterated that Kurds are an integral part of Syria's social fabric and that the rights of all Syrians must be protected within the state structure.

--IANS

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