Islamic militants have carried out a surprise attack in Syria, escalating tensions in the region and sparking renewed security concerns.
According to the state-run SANA news agency in Damascus, Islamist militants have launched a significant attack in Syria’s Aleppo and Idlib provinces. This marks the first incident of its kind in several years.
According to SANA, the terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, initiated the attack on Wednesday. Reports indicate that fighting is still underway.
According to Al Jazeera’s report on Thursday, militants are reported to have taken control of at least ten areas that were previously under Syrian military authority.
HTS is regarded as a terrorist organization by Syria, Russia, the United States, and numerous other countries.
The group has been restricted to regions within Idlib province in the northwest of the country, partly due to Russia’s assistance to the Syrian government in overcoming various rebel militants, including Islamic State (IS), formerly known as ISIS.
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In the previous month, Russian and Syrian warplanes conducted joint raids on HTS positions in Idlib and Latakia provinces, focusing on targeting the terrorists’ training sites and warehouses.
Damascus has claimed that Western nations are supporting terrorist groups within the country.
In an interview with Chinese media last year, Assad highlighted that terrorists are active in regions of northeast Syria where the US has a military presence. He further asserted that Washington has established a close and “mutually beneficial” relationship with insurgents.
Syrian officials have additionally alleged that Ukrainian agents are collaborating with rebels in the country by providing drone warfare training and US-supplied weapons in return for manpower.
The unexpected attack on Wednesday marks the first significant confrontation between Syrian rebels and government forces since March 2020, when Russia and Türkiye facilitated a ceasefire in the region.
