BEIRUT After setting off two vehicle bombings on Friday, Islamist rebels broke into districts in Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, and engaged in combat with government military troops. The Associated Press and a prominent war monitoring organization both covered the episode, which has brought renewed worldwide attention to a nation that has been embroiled in a civil conflict that has been smoldering for more than ten years.
The monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, reported that the regime troops and the insurgents engaged in intense combat. Since rebels began a surprise onslaught on Wednesday and took control of towns and villages as they moved toward Aleppo, the combat has significantly escalated.
Since 2016, when they were forced from Aleppo’s eastern suburbs during a military assault involving Syrian soldiers backed by Russia and Iran, the breach was the first time opposition fighters had besieged the city. The most severe bloodshed ended four years ago with a ceasefire, but a period of relative calm has been disrupted by the new rebel push.
As an example of how Middle Eastern wars reinforce one another, the rebels seem to have gained momentum due to the weakening of Iran-backed forces like Hezbollah around the area.
Residents of Aleppo were evacuating from locations on the western boundary due to rockets and gunfire, according to witnesses who talked to the Associated Press. According to the AP, an insurgent commander encouraged the citizens of the city to work with the insurgents by sharing a recorded message on social media. The terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, is in charge of the rebels.
The Syrian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that Syrian military forces were fending off attacks and that government forces engaged in combat operations had regained control of certain regions.
At least 121 individuals have been murdered since the beginning of the HTS shock offensive, including at least 20 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based on a network of information sources on the ground.
Four persons, including two students, were killed when insurgent-fired rockets hit student housing at Aleppo’s University in the city center, according to Syrian official media reports that the AP reported.
Protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorial regime sparked the Syrian civil war in early 2011. A violent spiral and an active insurgency were sparked by Assad’s government’s harsh crackdown on the popular uprisings, which was supported by arms shipments from Russia and Iran.
Daniel Arkin reported from Atlanta, while Matt Bradley reported from Beirut.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!