Damascus:
Syria’s Islamic rebels have launched the largest offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in years, sweeping through government-held towns and capturing “half of the city of Aleppo.” This is the first major challenge for Assad and his allies Russia and Iran in four years. Rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have advanced from Idlib, the remaining Syrian rebel-held region, after rebel backers Russia and Turkey agreed to a ceasefire. Since then, the front line has been almost stagnant. 2020.
By Friday, rebel fighters and their Turkey-backed allies had captured more than 50 towns and villages in the north and invaded western districts of Aleppo, a city of about 2 million people that was Syria’s pre-war manufacturing hub.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighters quickly captured half of Aleppo without encountering significant resistance.
“There was no fighting and not a single shot was fired because the regime forces withdrew,” AFP news agency quoted Rami Abdel Rahman, the observatory’s director, as saying.
The attacks began on Wednesday, the same day that Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel struck a fragile ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and its backer Russia reportedly retaliated with airstrikes on newly captured territory and other rebel-held areas.
The fighting was initially intense and 277 people were killed, according to the UK-based Observatory. The casualties included 28 civilians, most of whom were killed in Russian airstrikes.
27 civilians killed in fighting in northwest Syria – Reuters
Syrian civil war
Syria’s civil war began in March 2011, when the Assad regime launched a bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in the city of Daraa. The Assad family, which has ruled Syria since 1971, used brutal force to quell the uprising. Demonstrations quickly spread across the country, with demonstrators arming themselves to protect towns and launching attacks on the Syrian army.
In the months that followed, the rebels split into hundreds of armed groups. The conflict also attracted jihadist extremist groups such as HTS, a faction once linked to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, which quickly became one of the leading opposition factions. The United States banned HTS as a terrorist group.
As the rebels gained strength in the early days of the conflict, Bashar al-Assad turned to allies to help his regime survive. Iran, Syria’s closest ally, has supported Assad’s regime since the early stages of the war, providing advisers, weapons, billions of dollars and troops to help maintain control, the Telegraph reported. did.
Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah have also reportedly supported Mr. Assad’s forces since at least 2012. Russia also decided to support government forces in 2015, with President Vladimir Putin deploying not only ground troops but also Moscow’s air force to ensure the Syrian regime’s intervention. autumn.
However, neighboring Turkey, another major player in the war, has focused its efforts on the movement against Assad’s regime. The Turkish government used the Syrian opposition to contain the Kurdish YPG, which controls the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Turkish government says the group is an extension of the Kurdish rebel group, which is banned in Turkey, the Telegraph reported.
But with support from Tehran and Moscow, Mr. Assad was able to turn the tide of the rebellion and retake key cities, and in March 2020, Russia, which supports Mr. Assad, and Turkey, which supports the rebels, agreed to a ceasefire. I mediated. Fires were started to stop fighting in the Idlib region.
According to United Nations estimates released in 2022, about 300,000 people have been killed in the 10-year conflict.
Anti-government fighters prepare to topple equestrian statue of President Bassel al-Assad: AFP
latest uprising
For years, Moscow and Tehran have strongly supported President Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorial regime in thwarting rebel forces. But the ceasefire has been repeatedly broken in recent months, and analysts say there has been an increase in attacks on the enclave by Assad’s regime and its allies.
The ensuing attack reportedly brought together various rebel groups representing the last vestiges of the insurgency. The main group is HTS, whose rebels still control most of the territory in the northwest. According to a report in the New York Times, several Turkish-backed rebel groups are also taking part in the attack.
According to the report, Rebel Operations Room Forces Commander Lt. Col. Hassan Abdulghani issued a video statement announcing the strike, which was aimed at deterring airstrikes in Syria and other attacks on rebel-held areas. stated that it is aimed at.
“In order to push back their attacks from our people, this operation is not an option. It is our duty to protect our people and our land…regime militias and their allies, including Iranian mercenaries, are against the Syrian people. It was clear to everyone that war had been declared.”
Anti-government fighters patrolling central Aleppo on November 30: AFP
Timing of revolt against Assad’s regime
Although Syria is not directly involved in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, its territory has reportedly been a proxy battlefield for international powers for years. Israel has carried out deadly attacks in Syria for years, claiming its targets were Iranian-backed groups including the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
These attacks intensified following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. This weakened the Assad regime. Additionally, President Bashar al-Assad has relied on Russian and Iranian militaries to suppress the rebels for years, but ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have also weakened allies.
“As Israel weakens the Syrian regime’s allies such as Hezbollah and Iran, pro-regime militias are stepping up attacks in the region in an attempt to deter the rebels,” said Senior Fellow in the Center’s Middle East Program. Natasha Hall said. A strategic international studies official told The New York Times.
Experts said the success of previous attacks shows the Syrian government is weak and various rebel groups are gaining strength.
“Years ago, a crime of this scale would have been prevented by the regime,” Charles Lister, director of the Syria and Counterterrorism Program at the Middle East Institute, told the paper.
However, rebel groups like HTS have invested heavily in resources and training for night operations. “It basically levels the playing field,” he added.
This aerial photo shows Aleppo’s landmark citadel and surrounding area damaged by the civil war: AFP
Who controls what in Syria?
Ten years of civil war, an invasion by the Islamic State terrorist group, and several proxy battles have divided Syria into areas controlled by different groups.
President Assad’s government reportedly controls more than 60% of the country. However, large parts of Syria remain outside of government control, including rebel-held areas in the northwest and northeast. These areas are mainly controlled by Kurdish-led groups backed by the United States. There are also other rebel-held areas in northwest Syria, including parts of Idlib and Aleppo provinces, which are home to about 5 million people.
