Russian and Syrian warplanes target insurgents in Aleppo
According to military sources in Syria, Russian and Syrian warplanes have struck at insurgents in a suburb of Aleppo. This follows a surprise attack on Friday, when rebel fighters made their way into the city center.
The assault launched by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham presents the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years, bringing renewed tensions to the Syrian civil war that have mostly remained stagnant since 2020.
The Syrian Civil Defence, a rescue organization working in areas controlled by opposition groups in Syria, reported on X that Syrian government and Russian planes conducted airstrikes on residential areas, a gas station, and a school in the rebel-held region of Idlib. These attacks resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to six more.
Russia, which sent its air force to Syria in 2015 to back Assad in the conflict, has pledged additional military assistance to Damascus to counter the rebels. Sources indicate that this support will start arriving within the next 72 hours.
The rebel group launched an unexpected attack earlier this week, moving through towns controlled by the government and arriving in Aleppo almost ten years after government forces, with support from Russia and Iran, expelled the rebels from the city.
On Saturday, the Syrian government shut down Aleppo's airport and all routes leading into the city. According to three military officials, the Syrian army has been instructed to comply with “safe withdrawal” orders from the key areas of the city that have been taken over by rebel forces.
On Friday, state-run TV in Syria claimed that rebel forces had not entered the city and reported that Russia was assisting the Syrian military with air support. The Syrian armed forces announced on the same day that they were resisting the assault and had dealt significant damage to the insurgents in the rural areas of Aleppo and Idlib.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed that Moscow views the rebel assault as an infringement on Syria's sovereignty.
He stated that they support the Syrian government in establishing order in the region and reinstating constitutional governance as quickly as possible.
The rebels launched their offensive on Wednesday with the support of a command center that includes factions backed by Turkey. By Friday, this command center announced that its forces were moving through different areas of Aleppo.
In 2016, Assad regained complete control of the city of Aleppo from rebel groups, thanks to support from Russian airstrikes and Iranian-backed Shia militia forces. After enduring months of heavy bombing and a siege, the insurgents ultimately decided to retreat.
Rebels continued to hold their ground close to Aleppo in the Idlib region and in locations to the north of the city along the Turkish border.
