In a significant escalation of the Syrian conflict, the Syrian army confirmed on Saturday that dozens of its soldiers were killed in a major attack by insurgents who swept into the city of Aleppo in northwest Syria. The surprise offensive, led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has jolted the frontlines of the Syrian civil war, which had remained largely dormant since 2020, reigniting intense fighting near the Turkish border.
The Syrian army acknowledged the rebel advance, stating that insurgents had captured large parts of Aleppo, a city that had been under full state control since government forces, supported by Russia and Iran, expelled rebels from the area eight years ago. In response, the Syrian military announced that it was redeploying its forces and preparing a counteroffensive to restore control and state authority over the city.
Images from Aleppo showed rebel fighters celebrating in the city’s Saadallah al-Jabiri Square, with a billboard of President Bashar al-Assad visible behind them. One rebel fighter, Ali Jumbaa, expressed his emotional return to the city after being displaced in 2016, saying, “It is an indescribable feeling.”
The military command reported that the insurgents had launched their attack from multiple directions, prompting the army to carry out a redeployment to bolster its defense lines, protect civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterstrike. The Syrian army’s bombardment reportedly prevented the rebels from establishing permanent positions, with the promise of expelling them and restoring state control over the city and its surrounding areas.
Rebel sources also indicated that the insurgents had taken control of the city of Maraat al-Numan in Idlib province, thereby gaining control over the entire province—another blow to President Assad’s forces.
The attack was launched from regions of northwestern Syria that remain outside the control of Assad’s government. In response, Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out airstrikes on rebel positions in Aleppo’s suburbs.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the rebel assault, calling it a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and expressing support for the Syrian government in restoring order. Meanwhile, the Syrian Civil Defense reported that airstrikes by Syrian and Russian forces targeted residential areas, a gas station, and a school in rebel-controlled Idlib, killing four civilians and injuring six others.
Russia has pledged additional military aid to Syria, which is expected to arrive within the next 72 hours. Additionally, Syrian authorities have closed Aleppo airport and all roads leading to the city in response to the ongoing conflict.
The Syrian army has been instructed to follow “safe withdrawal” orders from areas of Aleppo now under rebel control. Rebel commanders claim that their swift advance was aided by a lack of support for the Syrian government in the broader Aleppo region.
Iran has also weighed in, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accusing the U.S. and Israel of being behind the rebel attack, while opposition fighters said the campaign was in retaliation for intensified airstrikes on civilian areas in Idlib province.
Turkey, which has been involved in peace efforts in the region, expressed concern over the escalation, calling it an undesirable increase in tensions. A spokesperson for Turkey’s Foreign Ministry urged for the avoidance of further instability in the region and criticized recent attacks on Idlib, which they argued undermined the spirit of de-escalation agreements.
