At least seven people were killed in clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Aleppo city on Tuesday, state media reported.
The violence comes after Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi held talks with officials in Damascus on integrating his forces into the central government on Sunday, after which state media reported there were no tangible results.
State news agency Sana said a member of the armed forces was killed in an attack by the SDF near Shihan roundabout in Aleppo, in the north of the country. Three others were wounded.
It added that three civilians, including two women, were killed and a child was injured when the SDF shelled residential buildings in the city's Al Midan neighbourhood.
The agency added that the Syrian army was striking SDF drone launch sites in the Sheikh Maqsoud district. Gunfire and shelling between the Syrian army and SDF forces were reportedly heard in the area.
Sheikh Maqsoud and the adjacent district of Ashrafieh are home to tens of thousands of Kurds and have remained under SDF control.
The SDF said three people were killed and 11 wounded in “indiscriminate artillery and rocket fire by Damascus government forces” in Sheikh Maqsoud and the adjacent district of Ashrafieh.
It said that the shelling was continuing, as well as drone attacks, sniper attacks and heavy weapons fire.
Authorities in Aleppo have urged people to stay away from the sites of clashes and not to gather in or near the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods until the area is fully secured.
The state-run Al Ikhbariya channel said the SDF shelled Aleppo with mortar rounds and attacked on the streets with snipers. It added that the Aleppo-Gaziantep road has been cut off after shelling by the SDF near Sheikh Maqsoud.
Under an agreement signed between Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara’s government and the SDF last March, the Kurdish-led force was to merge with the new Syrian army. Still, details were left vague and implementation has stalled.
The SDF said a delegation from its leadership, including Mr Abdi, met government officials in Damascus “as part of discussions related to the military integration process”. The SDF later said the talks had concluded and details would soon be published.
A major sticking point had been whether the SDF would remain a cohesive unit in the newly assembled army, or be dissolved with its members individually absorbed into the national military.
Kurdish officials have said a preliminary agreement has been reached to allow three divisions affiliated with the SDF to integrate as units into the new army. Still, it remains unclear how close the sides are to finalising the deal.
Last month, Syrian government forces and the SDF agreed to de-escalate in Aleppo, after a series of clashes left at least two civilians dead and several wounded.
