Renewed Clashes Between Syrian Government, Kurdish Forces Rises Risk Of War (Videos)

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Clashes between the forces of Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reignited in the eastern Raqqa countryside on November 17

The clashes between the towns of Madan and Ghanem Ali first broke out two days earlier. At the time, the SDF accused “factions” affiliated with the government of attacking its positions there.

“In a new assault reflecting the state of chaos and recklessness pursued by some factions affiliated with the Damascus government, our forces today were subjected to a treacherous attack on the axis of Ghanem al-Ali village in the eastern countryside of Raqqa,” the SDF said in a statement issued on November 15.

It added that they “thwarted this reckless attack” that resulted in minor injuries to three SDF fighters and “confirmed casualties” among the attackers.

The SDF also accused government forces of using suicide drones and heavy weapons “without any regard for civilian security or the stability of the region.”

“This reckless behavior confirms those parties’ insistence on dragging the region toward tension and undermining all efforts aimed at maintaining stability,” the SDF added, noting that their response was proportionate and aimed at preventing further escalation.

The SDF went on in the statement to call on “the sponsors of these factions to rein them in and stop their irresponsible practices.”

On November 16, the clashes calmed down, although both sides dispatched more reinforcements to Madan and Ghanem Ali.

The fighting picked up again the very next day, with reports suggesting that the SDF was using suicide drones against government forces. A bulldozer and a military vehicle were reportedly destroyed close to Madan. No casualties were reported, however.

The clashes came following statements from both sides indicating that some progress has been made towards the implementation of the breakthrough agreement from March that is meant to integrate the SDF into government’s military and civil institutions.

Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the U.S.-backed SDF, said on November 11 that his forces are committed to “advancing the integration process” into government.

In a post on X, Abdi said he held a phone call with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack to discuss the outcomes of the recent meeting between Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

“We are diligently working with our partners in close coordination to advance progress toward a more prosperous and secure future for our people in a unified Syria,” he added.

From his side, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on November 13 said that talks with the SDF were proceeding but integrating will not be rushed

“In the past 45 days, we, as the Syrian government, have had five meetings with the SDF to find some mechanisms for implementing the agreement,” Shaibani said at Chatham House during his visit to the United Kingdom.

The latest round of clashes show that the progress made was not enough to at least maintain a ceasefire between the two sides.

In September similar clashes broke near the town of Deir Hafer in the eastern Aleppo countryside, and later spread to the city of Aleppo itself.

Both clearly lack trust in each and pressure from the U.S. will not likely solve this issue. Adding fuel to fire is Turkey which may be pushing the government towards a battle with the SDF. Both sides may be buying time and preparing for the battle. Sharaa hinted before that Kurdish forces have until the end of the year, a deadline set by the March agreement.

As of now, it looks like U.S. efforts will fail and a major battle between the government and the SDF will break out by the end of the year. Government forces will likely attack from the same directions that witnessed clashes in recent months in the eastern Aleppo countryside and the eastern Raqqa countryside. In fact, these clashes are likely nothing more than reconnaissance by fire.

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