Two Syrian troops killed in Kurdish attack; SDF says Damascus violated agreement

DEIR HEFER, Syria — Syria’s army says two soldiers were killed today in an attack by Kurdish forces as the military deployed in an area east of Aleppo after Kurdish personnel agreed to withdraw.

In a statement to state media, the army says the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces “violated the agreement” and targeted a patrol near the town of Maskana, “killing two soldiers.”

The SDF instead accuses Damascus of violating the agreement, saying the army entered the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana “before our fighters had fully withdrawn, creating a highly dangerous situation,” and reported clashes in Maskana “as a result of violations committed by the Damascus government.”