Rebel militias led by the Salafist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) – a former affiliate of Al Qaeda– They broke into the neighborhoods of Al Hamdaniya and New Aleppo this Friday, located on the outskirts of the Syrian capital. According to reports from the authorities, progress was achieved after a double suicide car bomb attackfollowed by intense fighting with government forces, supported by Russia and Iran.
The insurgents have taken nearly 50 towns in Aleppo province, consolidating their control in a key area for the regime. Bashar al Assad. Until now, 250 deaths are countedincluding 85 military personnel, 120 rebel fighters and 20 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH).
The Syrian Army has claimed to be responding to the attack with destruction of armored vehicles and drones used by insurgents. In a statement, the armed forces claimed to have inflicted “hundreds of casualties” on the rebel ranks, although they did not confirm the loss of strategic territories.
The clashes have forced some 14,000 people to leave their homes, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the United Nations. Half of those displaced are minors, worsening the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria.
The violence has paralyzed the operations of 30 humanitarian organizations and 24 health centers in Idlib. Bab al Haua Hospital, one of the largest in the region, has suspended non-essential surgeries, limiting itself to treating emergencies amid the growing crisis.
The UN has condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure. In Aleppo, three children died in the attack on an educational institution, while shelling by Syrian and Russian forces on rebel areas of Idlib has caused the majority of civilian casualties.
The rebel offensive, called Aggression Deterrenceoccurs after an increase in bombing by the regime and Russia in areas controlled by the insurgents. Experts point out that the withdrawal of Russian troops towards Ukraine and the regime’s economic crisis have weakened its defenses.
From Moscow, the Kremlin has described the events as an “attack on the sovereignty” of Syria and expressed support for the regime’s efforts to regain control of the lost areas.
Analysts have pointed out that Türkiyethe main backer of several rebel factions, would have allowed the offensive of HTS, a former subsidiary of Al Qaedain a move that could alter the balance of power in the region.
The attack, the largest since the ceasefire agreed in 2020 between Russia and Türkiyeshows the resurgence of the rebels and the vulnerability of the regime. Observers fear the offensive in Aleppo will unleash a new phase of violence in Syria’s long-running civil war.
#Rebels #break #Aleppo #control #lightning #offensive #Syrian #regime
