Once exiled to the mountains of rural Syria, Islamic rebels now roam the streets of central Aleppo, posing for photos beneath the ancient citadel and vandalizing symbols of President Bashar al-Assad's rule. I'm doing it.
The surprise attack, in which rebels seized territory across northwestern Syria, appears to have dramatically shifted the balance of power in Aleppo, the country's second city, posing the most serious challenge to the Assad regime in years. There is. As the evening wore on, footage emerged of fighters advancing deep into Syrian government-held territory toward the city of Hama, including Kafr Nabul, a town once seen as a symbol of the anti-Assad regime.
Fighters from the Islamic extremist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have taken control of large parts of Aleppo in a sudden rout of the Syrian army. A reporter for opposition TV station Aleppo Today showed uniformed militants in an empty central square. A man shed tears in front of the camera as he said the militants freed him from prison.
Footage showed people tearing down a statue of Syria's ruler's brother Bassel al-Assad as gunshots rang out in celebration. Turkey's Anadolu news agency said Syrian troops had withdrawn from several key locations, including a civilian airport, and closed it as rebels approached.
HTS-led forces also captured key military bases in the south, seizing Saraqib, a strategic point on the highway to the capital Damascus. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have launched an independent attack on Kurdish militants and Syrian government forces to seize a military airport east of Aleppo, as large swathes of territory are rapidly coming under rebel control. began a strategy.
This sweeping attack appears to have surprised forces loyal to Assad as well as his longtime supporters in Moscow and Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to visit Damascus on Sunday before his trip to Turkey, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the situation in Syria in a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Haqkan Fidan.
Iran's Tasnim news agency said Syrian forces continued to fight rebels in Aleppo, amid reports of airstrikes by both Russia and Syria in the area.
The insurgents appear to have entered Aleppo with ease, in stark contrast to the fierce urban battles for control of city blocks that engulfed the ancient city center 12 years ago. “No one expected Aleppo to be taken. So there was no real defense line in the city. Once they got there, everything seemed open.” said Jerome Drevon of the International Crisis Group.
Drevon pointed to years of efforts by the insurgents to organize and hone their forces, allowing them to overwhelm the far less organized Syrian government fighters. “The administration probably did not expect such quick action. The operation began only a few days ago,” he said.
“Due to the overwhelming number of combatants and the large number of fronts, the Syrian army has announced that the repositioning is aimed at absorbing attacks, protecting the lives of civilians and soldiers, and strengthening the defense lines in preparation for attacks. The military will carry out the operation,” he said. Counterattack. “
What began as a popular uprising to overthrow Assad in 2011 later morphed into a bloody civil war centered on the battle for control of Aleppo. Syrian regime forces captured the city in 2016 with support from Russian air force and Iranian ground forces. As he contests control of the country, President Bashar al-Assad frees jihadists from prisons in the country, turning the rebellion against him on its head.
The rebels' sudden victory in Aleppo symbolizes a dramatic shift in control of Syria's major urban centers and an unexpected challenge to a president long seen as having crushed the rebellion. Ta. Assad's crumbling domestic rule seemed secure enough that former regional enemies, especially Saudi Arabia, were beginning to restore diplomatic relations with Damascus.
The rebels' sudden success immediately raised questions about their ability to hold territory and what the expanded territory would look like, led by the HTS leader known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. . Jolani, who was designated a terrorist by the US State Department in 2013 and has a $10 million bounty on his head, has effectively ruled Idlib province for several years.
While Idlib's armed groups have sought to project their ability to govern, they have also been accused of quashing dissent while relying heavily on dwindling international aid to meet civilian needs. As militants storm Aleppo, humanitarian workers such as ActionAid's Sudipta Kumar have warned that many people are suffering in Idlib.
“Thousands of families are now displaced and facing a freezing winter,” she said.
Sam Heller, an analyst at the Century Foundation, said whether the rebels can sustain their territorial gains depends on whether Damascus and its allies can fight back. “Certainly, some areas of the Aleppo countryside could be difficult for HTS and its allies to hold out if they were to receive truly devastating airstrikes and shelling,” he said. Rebel control inside Aleppo itself could make it much harder for Assad and his allies to fight back in the long run, he added.
“It is not clear what capabilities Damascus currently has and can mobilize from other parts of Syria. Also, Russia is currently involved in Ukraine and has diverted some troops to the front line. Considering this, it is also important to consider how much capability Russia currently has in Syria.
Opponents of other parts of Syria and the exiled Assad regime will now turn to Aleppo, but the uprising could fuel uprisings elsewhere. Drevon doubted whether Jolani and his allies intended to cede power to traditional governing authorities. He said the insurgents are likely to focus on expanding their fighting area for now, adding: “They have been waiting for this fight for a long time.”
