Syrian rebels enter Aleppo three days into surprise offensive

Islamist fighters have launched a surprising attack on Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, marking their entry after eight years since government troops took over the area.

Militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a significant attack earlier this week from their position in the rural area of Idlib, a narrow stretch of land in north-western Syria. Within just three days, the conflict escalated to Aleppo, with the insurgents seizing ground on the city's outskirts for the first time in four years, while Syrian government troops heavily bombarded areas controlled by the rebels.

On Friday afternoon, Turkey's Anadolu state news agency announced that insurgents had arrived in Aleppo. Meanwhile, unconfirmed photos and videos shared online depicted armed militants in uniforms and armored vehicles on the city's streets. According to the Associated Press, local residents mentioned hearing missile strikes on the outskirts of Aleppo.

Rami Abdul Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, informed Agence France-Presse on Saturday morning that jihadists and their allied groups have seized control of "half of Aleppo." He also mentioned that there has been no conflict or gunfire, as government forces pulled back.

On Saturday, Syrian officials shut down Aleppo airport and all access routes to the city, according to three military personnel, as reported by Reuters.

According to David Carden, the UN's deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, the violence that erupted over the past three days has resulted in the deaths of 27 civilians, among them eight children, as reported by Reuters.

The rebels have swiftly taken back numerous towns and villages in the countryside around Aleppo, capturing a military base along with weapons and tanks from the Syrian government forces. Meanwhile, some Syrian rebel groups supported by Turkey, based in other parts of north-west Syria, have also joined the conflict.

According to the United Nations, forces from the Syrian government stationed in Damascus conducted a minimum of 125 airstrikes and bombarded regions in Idlib and western Aleppo that are held by rebel groups. This military action resulted in the deaths of at least 12 civilians, injured 46 more, and forced 14,000 people to flee their homes.

According to two Syrian military officials who spoke to Reuters on Saturday, Syria is set to receive additional military support from Russia to assist its forces in countering the attack. They indicated that Damascus anticipates new Russian military equipment will begin arriving at Hmeimim airbase, located near the coastal city of Latakia, within the next 72 hours.

On Friday, HTS announced that it had taken control of four additional towns, including Mansoura, which is located five miles from Aleppo's center. Meanwhile, Syria's state news agency reported that four civilians lost their lives in student housing within the city after it was hit by projectiles launched by insurgent groups.

"The government's defenses have collapsed, and I believe they were caught off guard. Nobody expected the rebels to advance so quickly towards the outskirts of Aleppo," stated Dareen Khalifa from the nonprofit organization International Crisis Group.

She mentioned that it is still uncertain if the rebel groups will be able to maintain the large area they have taken over, or how the Russian troops supporting Bashar al-Assad's government in Damascus might react.

Turkey’s foreign ministry urged for tranquility in the Idlib region, requesting that the attacks cease immediately. “It is essential for Turkey to prevent further instability and to ensure the safety of civilians,” the ministry stated.

In 2011, a widespread revolt against Assad's government was brutally suppressed, leading to a brutal civil war that has plagued the nation for over ten years. Assad has held onto power, albeit precariously, thanks to support from Russia and Iran. The 2016 battle for Aleppo, during which the forces loyal to Assad reclaimed the city, was a significant turning point in solidifying his authority over Syria.

The fragile power dynamics in Syria have faced significant challenges over the past year, particularly due to the growing regional repercussions of Israel's conflict with the Iranian-backed group Hamas in Gaza.

Israel has significantly intensified its air attacks on Iranian troops located in Syria, conducting over 116 strikes, as reported by the United Nations. These strikes have resulted in the deaths of more than 100 individuals. Meanwhile, recent conflicts in Lebanon have caused around 500,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring Syria.

The rise in Israeli attacks has pushed Iranian troops in Syria onto the back foot, creating an opportunity for rebels to take advantage of a time when different proxy groups supporting Assad are more focused on other issues.

Khalifa noted that Moscow is mainly concentrating on the situation in Ukraine. “The Russians are preoccupied with Ukraine and are less engaged politically, if not militarily, in Syria,” she explained. “It's hard to predict how this offensive will turn out. The rebels believe that their opponents are weak and that they have the upper hand.”

On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow views the rebel assault as a breach of Syria's sovereignty and expressed the need for the local authorities to quickly take action to restore control.

Turkey, which supports rebel factions near its northern border with Syria but has recently aimed to improve its ties with Assad, has not made a public move in the current wave of conflict.

HTS announced that it plans to focus on Iranian troops working alongside Syrian government forces in its recent military campaign. Meanwhile, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that a commander from the Revolutionary Guards was killed in western Aleppo later this week.

The ongoing battles and airstrikes seem to have severely disrupted the delicate network of services in the areas controlled by rebels in Idlib. This has led to the shutdown of healthcare and other essential facilities that support millions of people seeking refuge in the region.