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3. Shelling Near North Syria's Raqqa City Despite Ceasefire

A monitor said clashes erupted on Monday evening between government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Monday near northern Syria's Raqqa city, a day after the sides agreed a ceasefire.

The AFP correspondent in Raqqa reported the sound of heavy bombardment, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported "clashes between government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces stationed at Al-Aqtan prison", on the city's outskirts, adding that government forces also shelled an SDF military position north of the city.

A Kurdish source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on condition of anonymity that direct negotiations were held on Monday between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi but were not positive.

Since the fall of the al-Assad regime, Syria has seen flashpoints of violence in Suwayda in its south and Latakia along its Mediterranean coast, which notably did not escalate into renewed nationwide conflict. These developments occur on the backdrop of months of ebbs and flows in relations between the new al-Sharaa government and the SDF, reflecting the fragile domestic state of affairs within Syria as the central government seeks to consolidate its jurdistiction of Syrian territory.

AFP