DAMASCUS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Monday began targeting what it described as launch sites for drones operated by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern Aleppo countryside, following reports of injuries among civilians and military personnel, according to state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV.
Quoting a military source, Al-Ikhbariya TV reported that the army identified and targeted the locations from which drones were launched, after attacks allegedly resulted in more than six injuries among civilians and military police members in the area earlier in the day.
The SDF, however, rejected what it called "fabricated and suspicious" allegations. In a statement released by its media center, the SDF said it carried out no military activities near the area on Monday, and accused Damascus of attempting to create pretexts to justify an unjustified escalation.
"The SDF is committed to restraint and to the existing tracks," the statement said, warning of the consequences of the accusations.
The incident comes a day after a reported high-level meeting between the SDF and Syria's transitional government in Damascus, during which both sides discussed the stalled military integration process under a March 10, 2025 agreement.
According to Syrian state media and government-linked sources, the meeting did not yield concrete progress toward accelerating implementation of the agreement on the ground, though both sides agreed to continue dialogue through joint committees.
The 2025 agreement, signed under international sponsorship, was intended to pave the way for integrating SDF military structures into the Syrian state, unifying command, and reducing fragmentation in northern and northeastern Syria. However, its implementation has faced repeated delays, amid mutual accusations of stalling and ongoing security incidents. ■
