Syrian military confirmed on Saturday that insurgents had successfully entered most of Aleppo city, which represents one of the most significant challenges President Bashar al-Assad has faced in recent years. The surprise attack, spearheaded by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, forced the military to redeploy forces to defend the city, according to Reuters.
The military admitted that the rebels, who started their campaign earlier this week, swept through government-held towns to reach Aleppo. It’s the first time since 2016 that insurgents had threatened the city so directly, nearly a decade since government forces, with help from Russia and Iran, had pushed them out of the city.
“The large numbers of terrorists and the multiplicity of battlefronts prompted our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening defence lines, preserving civilian and soldier lives, and preparing for a counterattack,” the Syrian army stated.
Despite the rebels’ advancements, the military emphasised that insurgents had failed to establish fixed positions in the city due to continuous bombardment.
Earlier on Saturday, Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out airstrikes against the rebel positions in Aleppo’s suburbs. Moscow, which moved its air force to Syria back in 2015 for supporting Assad’s government, has promised additional military aid to combat the insurgency.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the rebel attack, stating, “We consider this a violation of Syria’s sovereignty. We support Syrian authorities in restoring constitutional order as soon as possible.”
This offensive marks a dramatic escalation in Syria’s civil war, which has seen largely frozen frontlines since 2020. Dozens of Syrian troops were reportedly killed during the initial insurgent attacks in the northwestern region.
The Syrian army is now preparing for a counteroffensive, with a focus on regaining control and securing Aleppo, a city that has long been symbolic of the country’s ongoing conflict.
