On Friday morning in the northern Aleppo countryside, the newly formed “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) – led by Jaysh Al-Thuwar – launched a powerful assault on the village of Al-Malkiyah, targeting the defensive positions of the joint forces from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham.

The SDF was able to bypass the Islamist rebel defenses en route to imposing full control of Al-Malkiyah after killing several militants from the Free Syrian Army, Jabhat Al-Nusra, and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham; this is the first time that these former allies have engaged in a violent confrontation since the formation of the Syrian Democratic Forces last month.

As a result of the Syrian Democratic Forces success in Al-Malkiyah, the Islamist rebels of the Free Syrian Army issued a statement that blamed the Russian Air Force’s airstrikes for the former’s victory in northern Aleppo on Friday – the Russian Air Force carried out over 40 airstrikes along the Turkish border, striking the rural city of ‘Azaz on numerous occasions.

The Free Syrian Army’s “Liwaa Ahrar Souriya” (The Liberators of Syria Brigade) has declared the predominately Kurdish “Sheikh Maqsoud District” of Aleppo City as a war-zone, following the violent confrontation with the Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Aleppo over the last 48 hours.