Syrian rebel forces have taken control of most of the country's historic and largest city, Aleppo. UK-based monitoring organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported this on Saturday. Meanwhile, Russia launched airstrikes in parts of Aleppo for the first time since 2016 to suppress rebel forces. This information is known from the report of the British media BBC.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 300 people have been killed so far in the operation that began on Wednesday. More than 20 of them are civilians. The operation is the biggest attack against the Syrian government in years. The rebels entered the city for the first time since they were driven out of Aleppo by government forces in 2016.
Reuters reports that Aleppo's airport and all access roads to the city have been closed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels had taken most of the city by early Saturday morning without much resistance. A spokesman for the organization told the BBC, “There was no fighting in the retreat of the government forces.”
A spokesman for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, 'City councils, police stations, intelligence offices—everything is empty. This has never happened before.'
Earlier, the government announced on Friday that it had re-established control over some cities in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied forces have been attacking these areas since Wednesday. A video released by a channel linked to the Islamist armed group HTS showed rebel fighters driving vehicles inside Aleppo.
The BBC has geo-located the video, confirming that it was filmed in a western suburb of Aleppo. News agency AFP reported that one of its reporters saw anti-government fighters in front of Aleppo's historic citadel on Friday.
It should be noted that more than five lakh people have been killed so far in the civil war that started in Syria after the suppression of the pro-democracy movement in 2011. Various armed groups took advantage of this instability to take over large parts of Syria. The Syrian government later recaptured most of the area with the help of Russia and other allies.
Idlib is still the last stronghold of the rebels. It is primarily under the control of the HTS, but Turkish-backed rebels and Turkish forces are also stationed there. On Friday, Syrian and Russian air forces carried out 23 airstrikes near Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Russia's military says it has attacked 'extremist forces'. “Russia is supporting the Syrian government to quickly restore order and Syria's sovereignty is under threat,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Earlier, Russia and Turkey signed a ceasefire agreement in Idlib in 2020. However, on Wednesday, HTS and allies announced a new campaign. They accused the government and allied militias of fueling tensions in the region. Analysts say the rebels have advanced rapidly as Syrian allies Iran and Hezbollah have been weakened by Israeli attacks.
