Aleppo: Rebels ‘take control’ of airport as thousands of fighters capture most of Syria’s second-largest city

Syrian rebels reportedly control most of Aleppo following their surprise offensive that left regime forces reeling.

Thousands of opposition fighters in armored vehicles were deployed to landmarks, including the old city, residents said.

It comes a day after rebels entered the country’s second-largest city, where they reportedly faced little resistance from pro-government troops.

The insurgents, led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al Sham and including Turkeysupported fighters, also claim to be in control of all of Idlib province.

Russian and Syrian planes responded by bombing the rebels who face the most serious challenge President Bashar al-Assad in many years.

Witnesses said two airstrikes on the outskirts of Aleppo targeted insurgent reinforcements and struck near residential areas.

At least 300 militants have been “eliminated” in the past 24 hours in missile and bomb attacks by the Syrian army and Russian air force on command posts, warehouses and artillery positions, according to the Russian defense ministry.

Syria’s military said it had carried out a “temporary troop withdrawal” in Aleppo to prepare for a counter-offensive against “terrorists”.

And he admitted that the insurgents had entered large parts of the city, but said they had not set up bases or checkpoints.

The rebels captured Aleppo international airport, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The insurgents also took control of several towns and cities in the northern Hama countryside amid “regime withdrawal and collapse”, SOHR claimed.

But the Syrian defense ministry denied the reports, saying there was “no truth” to them.

“Dangerous Situations”

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry criticized the US-led coalition for creating “dangerous situations” after its warplanes “violated” Syrian airspace.

It said: “In the area of Al Tanf city, 12 violations were recorded… in the last 24 hours: a pair of F-15 fighters (four times), a pair of Typhoon fighters and a pair of A-planes. – 10 attack aircraft.”

Such actions risk “dangerous preconditions for aviation incidents and accidents,” the ministry warned.

Fierce battles

Dozens of Syrian soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting in Aleppo and Idlib in recent days, the army said.

Russia, one of President Bashar al Assad’s key allies, has promised Damascus additional military aid to defeat the rebels, two military sources told the Reuters news agency.

Iranian condemnation

And Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “aggression by terrorist elements” against its consulate in Aleppo during rebel advances, its state media reported.

The foreign ministers of Iran and Russia expressed their support for Syria.

“Relentless attacks” over the past three days in northwest Syria have killed 27 civilians, including eight children, a UN official said.

And now they are back in Aleppo for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran and regional Shiite militias retook it.

“Like an Earthquake”

Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, told Sky News: “To see the whole city fall in 24 hours like we did on Friday is beyond dramatic, it’s like an earthquake on the scale the last 13-14 years. the Syrian crisis”.

Opposition fighters said the campaign was a response to increased attacks in recent weeks on civilians by the Russian and Syrian air forces in rebel-held areas of Idlib.

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The rebel offensive expanded

Turkey has said its diplomatic efforts have failed to stop government attacks on opposition-held areas, which violate a de-escalation deal sponsored by Russia, Iran and Ankara.

Turkish security officials said a limited rebel offensive was planned to halt government attacks and allow civilians to return, but the offensive expanded as Syrian government forces withdrew.

The insurgents posted videos online for the first time showing themselves using drones in the advance. It is not clear to what extent they were used on the battlefield.

The Syrian Civil War: A Timeline

Syria has gone through more than 13 years of civil war. Here are some of the key events since the beginning of the conflict.

2011: Anti-regime sentiment spreads throughout Syria after protesters are shot by government forces. Conflict breaks out between rebels and pro-Assad troops.

2012: Government forces relentlessly bombard rebel territory, particularly the besieged city of Homs.

2013: The Islamic State (IS) is founded and begins to grow in strength and territory. A chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, Damascus, killed hundreds. The UN found that sarin gas was used, but did not assign blame to the Assad regime or the rebels.

2014: IS declares a “caliphate” covering much of Syria and continues to fight both the Assad regime and rebels. Foreign countries start bombing IS strongholds.

2015: IS fighters captured the historic city of Palmyra, destroying monuments throughout the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria. Moscow said it was targeting IS, but the West accused them of also attacking rebels to support Damascus. This proved to be a turning point in the conflict.

2016: Syrian troops, backed by Iran and Russia, recapture Aleppo – a significant blow to the rebels.

2017: Islamic State is driven out of Raqqa, the capital of the “caliphate” by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces – widely seen as a symbol of the terrorist group’s decline.

2018: At least 70 people were killed and hundreds injured in a suspected chemical attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta. The US State Department called it “one of the worst chemical attacks in Syrian history”. The US, UK and France launched airstrikes against Assad targets in response.

2019: Turkey launches an offensive in northeastern Syria.

2021: Daraa in southern Syria sees intense fighting after the region boycotted presidential elections. A ceasefire is agreed in September.

2022: IS militants attack a prison in northeastern Syria during which 500 people are killed and some fighters escape.

2023: A devastating earthquake hits Turkey and Syria, killing tens of thousands.

Geolocated video by Sky News shows armored vehicles on the outskirts of Aleppo and rebels celebrating at the western entrance.

Another shows a group of more than 10 men running through the streets. At least one of them appears to be armed.

A setback for the regime or the start of a major escalation?

Alex Rossi

International Correspondent

@alexrossiSKY

It seemed like a conflict frozen in time, but the operation launched at breakneck speed by Syrian opposition fighters turned everything upside down.

It is also a stark reminder of the complexity of the Syrian conflict.

What has been a stalemate has revealed that President Bashar al Assad’s regime may well be standing on clay.

Whether the rebel push continues its momentum and turns into a wider offensive remains to be seen – but its significance politically and militarily is immense.

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