Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad have reached the heart of the northern city of Aleppo, nearly a decade after being forced out. Led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the opposition fighters made quick progress through government-held towns with insufficient Iran-backed manpower. The rebels received a green light for the offensive from Turkey, but the Turkish government sought to avoid greater instability in the region.
The attack, the biggest since March 2020, undermines de-escalation agreements between Russia and Turkey. It has resulted in the deaths of at least 27 civilians in northwest Syria, drawing alarm from the U.N. and calls for international humanitarian law to be upheld. Syrian state television denied the rebels’ claim of reaching the city and reported heavy losses inflicted on the insurgents.
Russian and Syrian warplanes have carried out bombings to push back the rebel offensive, with the Kremlin emphasizing the need for Syrian authorities to restore constitutional order in the area. Reports of Assad flying to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin remain unconfirmed.
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has resulted in an estimated 600,000 deaths. The recent escalation in Aleppo highlights the ongoing complexities and human cost of the conflict in Syria.
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