In Syria, rebels from the group "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" broke into the suburbs of Aleppo and are fighting with forces controlled by Bashar al-Assad's government. This is the first attack on Aleppo since 2016, when Syrian authorities, with the support of Iran and Russia, regained control over the eastern part of the city. The current offensive also became the largest attack since the ceasefire agreement in 2020.
The rebels stormed into Aleppo by detonating two car bombs on Friday and clashed with government forces on the western outskirts of the city, reports Associated Press. One of the rebel commanders posted a recorded message on social media urging city residents to cooperate with the advancing forces.
Opposition forces have taken control of more than 70 settlements in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, covering an area of 550 sq. km, and have seized heavy weapons and equipment from the Syrian army.
According to eyewitnesses in Aleppo, residents are leaving neighborhoods on the western outskirts of the city due to rockets and gunfire. The Turkish state agency "Anadolu" reported that on Friday, the rebels entered the center of Aleppo. They managed to destroy a helicopter at the Neyrab military airfield near Aleppo and captured several dozen soldiers of the government army. According to the agency, people close to Bashar al-Assad's regime are fleeing from Aleppo to Damascus.
Allies of the Syrian government, Iran and "Hezbollah," are focused on internal conflicts and the war with Israel. Russia, traditionally supporting the Syrian government, has diverted all its forces to Ukraine, which has also weakened Damascus's position.
Fighting between Islamic groups and the government army began the day before. In response to the rebels' advance on Aleppo, Russian and Syrian military aircraft began bombing rebel-controlled territory in northwestern Syria, near the border with Turkey. At least 19 civilians were killed.
Photo: AP