On the 22nd local time, the Interior Department of the Syrian Interim Government issued a statement saying that in Aleppo city, the Kurdish-led “Syrian Democratic Forces” carried out indiscriminate shelling on densely populated areas, resulting in 2 deaths and 15 injuries. The “Syrian Democratic Forces” issued a statement indicating that factions linked to the Syrian Interim Government launched an attack in Aleppo, injuring five civilians.

The “Syrian Democratic Forces” are led by the Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” and currently control large areas in northern and eastern Syria. The United States has long supported the Syrian Kurdish forces in combating remnants of the “Islamic State” within Syria. The implementation of relevant integration agreements signed between the “Syrian Democratic Forces” and the Syrian Interim Government has not proceeded smoothly. The two sides still occasionally engage in small-scale armed clashes in areas such as Aleppo province.

Aleppo city

Aleppo is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, with a history spanning over 8,000 years. It flourished as a key Silk Road trading hub, leaving a legacy of architectural marvels like its iconic medieval citadel and the historic covered souk. Tragically, much of its ancient urban fabric, including the UNESCO-listed Old City, suffered severe damage during the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011.

Syrian Democratic Forces

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a multi-ethnic military alliance, primarily led by Kurdish groups like the YPG, that was formed in 2015 during the Syrian Civil War. It became the principal U.S.-backed ground force in the successful campaign to militarily defeat the Islamic State in Syria, notably liberating its de facto capital of Raqqa in 2017. The SDF continues to control and administer large areas of northeastern Syria, though its political future remains a point of significant regional tension.

Syrian Interim Government

The Syrian Interim Government is a political opposition body formed in 2013 during the Syrian Civil War, with its stated goal of being a provisional alternative to the Syrian Arab Republic government. It was established by the internationally recognized opposition coalition, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, and has been based in parts of northwestern Syria under opposition control, primarily providing limited civil services in those areas. It is not recognized as a sovereign government by the United Nations.

People’s Protection Units

The People’s Protection Units (YPG) is a primarily Kurdish militia that formed in northern Syria in 2011 during the early stages of the Syrian Civil War. It emerged to defend Kurdish-majority areas and later became a central component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), playing a key role in the international coalition’s fight against the Islamic State.

Islamic State

The “Islamic State” (ISIS) is not a place or cultural site, but a violent extremist group. It emerged in the early 21st century, gained notoriety for seizing territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014, and inflicted catastrophic damage on the people, history, and cultural heritage of the region, including the deliberate destruction of ancient sites like Palmyra. Its so-called “caliphate” was territorially defeated by 2019, though it remains a diffuse terrorist threat.