Three soldiers and one civilian were killed after units of the Kurdish-led coalition “Syrian Democratic Forces“ (SDF) opened fire on checkpoints set up by transitional government forces around the Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in northern Aleppo, the SANA news agency reported.
Earlier reports had indicated one death. Kurdish militias also fired several mortar rounds at the Bustan al-Basha, Meydan and Seif al-Dawla neighborhoods, from where wounded civilians were taken to hospitals.
Previously, Kurds held mass protests in Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud, demanding that the authorities immediately lift the siege on the Kurdish areas, which are home to 500,000 people. They called on the SDF to protect the Kurdish population of Aleppo.
On October 6, the Arab Republic's Defense Ministry accused the Kurds of turning northern Aleppo "into a haven for criminal elements." Syrian government forces have blocked all access to Kurdish-populated areas and built earthworks around them.
Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib said his government was "not seeking a military escalation and is leaving the door open for dialogue with the Kurds." He said military reinforcements had been deployed to the provincial capital to restore stability. The official said checkpoints had been opened to allow civilians to leave dangerous areas.
The escalation in Aleppo came amid rising tensions between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after the Kurds boycotted parliamentary elections on October 5.