Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad have advanced into the heart of the city of Aleppo after making a surprise sweep through government-held towns. Led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the opposition fighters entered a dozen towns and villages in the northern province of Aleppo, which was controlled by Assad’s government with support from Iran and Russia. By late Friday, the rebels were reportedly sweeping through various neighborhoods of the city. The quick progress of the rebels was attributed to insufficient Iran-backed manpower in the region, as some of Iran’s allies have suffered losses in conflicts with Israel.
Turkey was rumored to have given a green light to the offensive, but Turkish officials denied this and expressed concern about instability in the region. The attack, the biggest since March 2020, violated a de-escalation agreement between Russia and Turkey. The Syrian military claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
The U.N. expressed alarm over the situation, reporting that at least 27 civilians, including children, had been killed in the violence. Russian and Syrian forces launched airstrikes to push back the insurgent offensive and regain control of the area near the border with Turkey. Russia called for the Syrian authorities to restore order and constitutional rule in Aleppo. Reports of Assad flying to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin were not confirmed.
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