Russian Strikes Target Aleppo as Rebels Seize Control

Intense Russian airstrikes hit Aleppo as rebel forces gain control of key areas, escalating tensions in the Syrian conflict.

According to the UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), rebel forces in Syria have seized control of most of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city.

According to observers, Russia carried out air strikes across parts of Aleppo for the first time since 2016 in a response that began overnight into Saturday.

According to SOHR, the offensive that began on Wednesday has resulted in over 300 fatalities, including more than 20 civilians.

This offensive marks the most significant attack on the Syrian government in years, and it is the first instance since 2016 that rebels opposing President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have regained a presence in Aleppo after being driven out by the army.

Syria’s military announced on Saturday that rebels had taken control of “large parts” of the city, resulting in dozens of soldiers being killed or wounded during the conflict.

In a statement, it was announced that troops have been temporarily withdrawn from Aleppo in order to “prepare a counteroffensive.”

According to military sources cited by Reuters news agency, the airport in Aleppo and all roads leading into the city have been shut down.

According to the SOHR, early on Saturday, the rebels successfully took control of most of the city without encountering substantial resistance.

A spokesperson informed the BBC that Syrian regime forces withdrew without any fighting.

The city council, police stations, and intelligence offices are all vacant.

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“This is unprecedented.”

Earlier on Friday, government forces announced that they had recaptured positions in several towns across the Aleppo and Idlib provinces after HTS and its allied factions launched an offensive on Wednesday.

A video shared on a channel linked to the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seems to depict rebel fighters in vehicles within the city.

BBC Verify has identified the location of the footage as a western suburb in Aleppo.

According to AFP, one of its reporters observed “anti-government fighters” in front of the city’s iconic citadel on Friday.

Over 500,000 people have lost their lives in the civil war that began after the government suppressed pro-democracy protests in 2011.

A variety of armed groups opposing the Assad government, including jihadists, capitalized on the chaos to capture extensive areas.

With assistance from Russia and other allies, the Syrian government later regained control of most areas it had previously lost.

Idlib, the final opposition stronghold, is primarily under the control of HTS. However, Turkish-backed rebel groups and Turkish forces are also present in the area.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 23 airstrikes were conducted near Idlib by Syrian and Russian aircraft on Friday.

According to the UK-based monitoring group, which relies on a network of sources within Syria, Russian strikes resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injured 19 others.

According to Russian news agencies, the country’s military reported conducting bombings on “extremist forces.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov voiced his backing for “the Syrian government’s swift restoration of order” and stated that the nation’s sovereignty was being challenged.

A statement shared on a rebel-linked channel on Friday announced, “Our forces have started entering the city of Aleppo.”

Videos confirmed by the BBC depict armed individuals sprinting down a street approximately seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from Aleppo’s medieval citadel located in the city’s center.

A different clip, confirmed by the BBC, depicted sizable crowds with luggage moving away from a location near Aleppo University. This video was filmed 3 km from where HTS-affiliated media assert that rebel forces have infiltrated the city.

Sarmad, a resident of Aleppo, informed AFP that he constantly heard “the sounds of missiles and artillery shelling.”

“We’re afraid that conflict will erupt, forcing us to leave our homes once more,” said the 51-year-old.

David Carden, the UN’s deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, expressed deep concern about how the increasing hostilities are affecting civilians.

He stated that unyielding assaults over the past three days have resulted in the deaths of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as eight years old.

Since 2020, fighting in Idlib had mostly subsided after Turkey and Russia, Syria’s main ally, negotiated a ceasefire to stop the government’s attempt to reclaim the province.

However, on Wednesday, HTS and its allies announced that they had initiated their offensive to “deter aggression,” accusing the government and associated militias of escalating tensions in the region.

Analysts suggest that a key factor in their rapid advancement is the weakening of Syria’s allies, Iran and Hezbollah, due to Israeli attacks in the region.

Additional reporting by Lina Sinjab in Beirut, as well as Richard Irvine-Brown, Merlyn Thomas, Sofia Ferreira Santos, and Paul Brown in London.