Syria's army said two soldiers were killed on Saturday in an attack by Kurdish forces as the military deployed in an area east of Aleppo after Kurdish personnel agreed to withdraw.

In a statement to state media, the army said the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces "violated the agreement" and targeted a patrol near the town of Maskana, "killing two soldiers".

The SDF accused Damascus of violating the agreement, saying the army entered the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana "before our fighters had fully withdrawn, creating a highly dangerous situation", and reported clashes in Maskana "as a result of violations committed by the Damascus government".

The clashes came as Syria's Kurds said a presidential decree recognising the minority's rights and making Kurdish an official language was a first step but fell short of their expectations.

In a statement, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and northeast said the decree issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday was "a first step, however it does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people".

It added that "rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but... through permanent constitutions that express the will of the people and all components" of society. (AFP)