Jihadist forces and allied militias They have taken control of half of Aleppothe second city in Syria, as reported to AFP this morning by the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), Rami Abdul Rahman.
Rahman assures that “half of the city of Aleppo is now under the control of (the jihadist organization) Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied factions” – opposed to President Bashar al-Assad – and assured that “there has been no fighting” because “regime forces withdrew”.
Syrian authorities have closed Aleppo airport and canceled all flights on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters.
The jihadists, a member of the opposition, have carried out a surprise raid in government-controlled cities and have reached Aleppo almost a decade after being expelled of the northern Syrian city. The rebels began their incursion on Wednesday and on Friday night an operations room representing the offensive said they were laying waste to several neighborhoods in Aleppo.
Russiaa key ally of Assad, has promised Damascus additional military aid to thwart the rebels, two military sources said, adding that reinforcements would arrive in the next 72 hours.
The attack is the largest since March 2020, when Russia and Türkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
The deputy regional coordinator for humanitarian affairs of the UN for the crisis in Syria, David Carden, has shared his concern: “We are deeply alarmed by the situation that is developing in northwest Syria.” “The relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old.”
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