Syria’s army declares a large area east of Aleppo a closed military zone, demanding Kurdish forces withdraw to east of the Euphrates River following deadly clashes.
ALEPPO: Syria’s army has ordered Kurdish forces to withdraw from an area they control east of Aleppo.
The directive follows deadly clashes last week where government forces dislodged fighters from two neighbourhoods in the city.
State television published an army statement with a map declaring a large area a “closed military zone”.
It said “all armed groups in this area must withdraw to east of the Euphrates” River.
The designated zone begins near Deir Hafer, around 50 kilometres east of Aleppo city.
It extends to the Euphrates further east and towards the south.
On Monday, Syria accused the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces of sending reinforcements to Deir Hafer.
The government said it sent its own personnel there in response, a claim the SDF denied.
An AFP correspondent saw government forces bringing military reinforcements including artillery to the Deir Hafer area on Tuesday.
On the weekend, Syria’s government took full control of Aleppo city.
This came after taking over its Kurdish neighbourhoods and evacuating fighters to Kurdish-controlled areas in the country’s northeast.
The violence started last Tuesday after negotiations stalled.
The talks were about integrating the Kurds’ de facto autonomous administration and forces into the country’s new government.
The SDF controls swathes of the country’s oil-rich north and northeast.
Much of this territory was captured during Syria’s civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group.
