DAMASCUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Armed clashes erupted early Monday between Syrian authorities-affiliated forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, as both sides accused each other of violating a recently-brokered ceasefire and escalating tensions.
The SDF's media center said in a statement that its forces exercised "legitimate right to self-defense" after an attack by authorities-aligned factions on four SDF positions in the village of al-Imam around 3:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), and that its forces repelled the "assault" after 20 minutes of clashes.
The SDF blamed "undisciplined factions" under Syrian authorities' command for shelling residential areas near the frontline over the weekend without justification, urged Damascus to restrain these forces, accused Syrian defense authorities of distorting facts by claiming the SDF initiated the attack, and warned of further escalation given continued "provocations" as such.
Also on Monday, Britain-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the clashes in al-Imam, which it said involved medium and heavy weapons from both sides, with no confirmed casualties by midday.
On Saturday, Syrian defense authorities, cited by state news agency SANA, said the SDF launched rocket salvos "irresponsibly" targeting civilian homes for unknown reasons. ■
