The events took place in the village of Um Tina, near Deir Hafer, in Aleppo province, an area of contact between the two forces, where there have been periodic clashes in recent months.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense, through its Department of Media and Communication reported that the SDF launched mortar and shell attacks against several villages in eastern Aleppo, including Tal Maaz, Alsa, Al-Kayariya and Um Tina itself.

According to the official version, the Syrian forces observed the firing of rockets from positions controlled by the SDF towards Um Tina, a village also under Kurdish rule, and categorically rejected the accusations that the army was responsible for the attack.

The bombing of Um Tina was carried out by the SDF itself, said the Ministry, which attributed it to a manoeuvre to discredit the government and falsely blame the national armed forces.

He also recalled that on September 10, the SDF allegedly carried out a similar attack in the village of Al-Kayariya, killing two and wounding three civilians.

For its part, the SDF issued a statement accusing “pro-Turkish factions affiliated with the Damascus government” of deliberately attacking residential areas in eastern Aleppo.

The militia confirmed the deaths of seven civilians in Um Tina, including five women and two minors.

abo/oda/fm