Syrian rebels led by the military opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham broke into Syriaʼs second-largest city of Aleppo and clashed with government forces.
Al Arabiya, Reuters, AP and DPA write about it.
The rebels have been approaching Aleppo for several days, and along the way captured a number of towns and villages. The offensive covered at least 10 districts in northwestern Aleppo province.
Al Arabiya sources say the rebels have taken control of the entire western countryside of Aleppo and have blocked the main M5 road. Clashes between armed groups and Syrian forces continue in the area of New Aleppo.
Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that armed groups reached the outskirts of Aleppo and took control of 63 settlements in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib, and that they wanted to control the roads leading to Aleppo.
The Center also confirmed that clashes are still ongoing 5 kilometers south of Aleppo.
Military reinforcements have already arrived in Aleppo to repel a large-scale rebel attack.
The Syrian military commander told DPA that aircraft and helicopters will take part in operations in Aleppo. And the UN confirmed that the clashes in Syria in three days led to the death of 27 civilians, including children.
This week, opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham achieved one of their biggest successes. It is the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters. It is also the biggest advance by opposition fighters on the city since they were pushed out of the eastern districts in 2016.
The offensive comes as Iran-linked groups that have supported Syrian government forces since 2015 have been preoccupied with their own fighting in their own country.
- Active clashes between the rebels and Syrian troops began on November 27. The offensive was launched by the Syrian Revolutionary Forces in "response to months of continuous attacks on civilians" by the Assad regime in Aleppo province.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.