The Syrian city of Aleppo was hit by Russian airstrikes after a rebel offensive. Russian warplanes carried out attacks on parts of the city of Aleppo on Saturday evening “for the first time since 2016”, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Syrian branch of the al-Qaeda terror network, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies controlled “most of the city, as well as government centers and prisons.”
The regime closed the airport
The attacks came after Aleppo airport was closed and all flights were cancelled. Syrian military officials said they expected additional military assistance from Russia to prevent the takeover of Aleppo province by President Bashar al-Assad’s enemies.
Damascus expects Russian military equipment to arrive at the Hmeimim military base near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia within the next 72 hours.
The rebels say they have captured Aleppo
On Friday, rebels claimed to have captured Aleppo in a surprise offensive. The rebels said they had entered the center of the city. Syrian state television denied the information. The army said it was opposing the rebels. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the insurgents in the surrounding areas of Aleppo and Idlib.
As early as Friday afternoon, the command center of the rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reported that their fighters had invaded several neighborhoods in Aleppo. Jaish al-Issa rebel brigade commander Mustafa Abdul Jaber said the rapid advance was due to the weakening of Iranian-backed forces. Iran’s allies in the region have lost their effectiveness due to Israeli attacks during the Gaza war and the offensive in Lebanon.
“Major attack on a broad front”
According to military and insurgent circles, the rebels, led by Hajat Tahrir al-Sham, advanced on Wednesday into Aleppo province, which is controlled by the Syrian government. The Syrian army spoke of a “major attack on a broad front”. It was the biggest attack since a ceasefire was agreed in March 2020.
After years of fighting between the rebels and Assad’s forces, Russia and Turkey struck a deal that cemented the status quo, which is now being called into question by the rebel offensive. Besides Iran, Russia is Assad’s most important ally, while Turkey supports rebel groups. Informed circles said Turkey had given the green light for the offensive.
Source: Krone
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