DAMASCUS (Dispatches) -- A member of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group currently governing most of Syrian territory including the capital Damascus, was killed on Tuesday in armed clashes with U.S.-sponsored Kurdish militants from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Aleppo province, according to a statement from the HTS ministry of defense, reported by SANA.
The HTS-led regime, under the leadership of Abu Muhammad al-Jolani—a former commander in both al-Qaeda and Daesh—has established itself as the de facto authority across vast regions of Syria following the collapse of the previous central government during the foreign-imposed conflict. Only the northeastern territories remain under the control of separatist Kurdish militias backed by the U.S. military occupation.
In March, the SDF claimed to have reached an agreement to join institutions governed by HTS, in a move described as part of efforts to end Syria’s long-standing division. However, the details of the agreement remain vague, particularly regarding how the SDF’s foreign-backed militias would be incorporated into the HTS military structure.
The HTS ministry of defense emphasized in its Tuesday statement that any integration must occur on an individual basis under the centralized authority in Damascus, rejecting the SDF’s demand to be integrated as a bloc—an approach seen as an attempt to preserve their autonomy and foreign ties.
“The SDF must adhere to the terms of the national agreement and immediately cease its armed provocations against state forces,” the ministry warned. “If these violations continue, they will result in serious consequences.”
Tensions between the two sides escalated further over the weekend, when an official within the HTS regime announced that Damascus would not take part in upcoming meetings with SDF representatives planned in Paris—talks widely seen as orchestrated by Western governments seeking to prolong Syria’s fragmentation.
Despite attempts at national reconciliation, the continued occupation of oil-rich northeastern Syria by American forces and their Kurdish proxies remains a major obstacle to restoring full sovereignty.
Syria’s population includes a rich mosaic of religious and ethnic communities—Sunni Muslims, Alawites, Christians, Druze, Shia Muslims, and a sizable Kurdish minority.