Syriaʼs second-largest city, Aleppo, has fallen out of government control for the first time since the military conflict began more than a decade ago.
This was reported by the Arab broadcaster Alarabiya News, citing data from a military observer.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied opposition forces control the city of Aleppo, except for areas controlled by Kurdish forces. For the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the city of Aleppo is out of the control of Syrian [government] forces,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Part of the northern districts of Aleppo, inhabited mainly by Syrian Kurds, is under the control of the Peopleʼs Protection Units (YPG). In addition, as Alarabiya News writes, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and their allies captured Aleppo airport and dozens of nearby cities on November 30.
What preceded
Armed rebels launched a lightning offensive against the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Iran and Russia, on Wednesday, November 27. The hot phase began "in response to months of continuous attacks on civilians" by the Assad regime in Aleppo province. The fighting has become the most intense in northwestern Syria since 2020.
Civil war in Syria
The civil war in Syria has been going on since 2011. It began as a local confrontation, which gradually turned into an uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Over time, it involved not only the main states of the region, but also international organizations, military-political groups and other countries.
The main participants in the conflict are regular military formations that support President Bashar Assad, formations of the "moderate" Syrian opposition, Kurdish regionalists, as well as various terrorist groups. The parties to the conflict receive military aid from other countries: government forces are supported by Russia and Iran, while the Syrian opposition receives aid from Western countries, Turkey and the Gulf monarchies.
Since 2011, Russia has come to the aid of President Bashar Assad. It sent weapons to the country, which were accumulated by the Syrian troops, and also kept its own military bases with weapons there. In 2015, the Russians began to fight on the territory of Syria together with Hezbollah fighters. Now, videos and photos are being circulated on social networks, in which fighters from the Syrian opposition have allegedly captured Russian military equipment, including machine guns and tanks.
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