In a surprise move, insurgents breached Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, for the first time since 2016, clashing with government forces, according to war monitors and fighters. This attack, which took place Friday, marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict and added more instability to a region already affected by multiple wars. The insurgents’ advance began with an offensive on Wednesday, as thousands of fighters swept through towns and villages in northwestern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that dozens of fighters from both sides were killed, while residents of Aleppo fled their homes due to heavy gunfire and missile strikes.
This new wave of violence adds to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, which includes the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the decade-long Syrian civil war that has continued since 2011. Aleppo had not seen opposition forces since they were ousted from its eastern neighborhoods in 2016, following a grueling battle supported by Russian and Iranian-backed Syrian forces. However, this time, there were reports that government troops were retreating without putting up significant resistance, with insurgent groups calling on the Syrian soldiers to surrender.
Robert Ford, the former U.S. ambassador to Syria, suggested that the Syrian government’s military capabilities were significantly weakened, with reports indicating that forces may have been nearly routed. The insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS), made the largest territorial gains in years, sparking the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when government forces recaptured opposition-controlled areas.
The timing of the attack coincided with other regional conflicts. Iran-backed groups, notably Hezbollah, have been preoccupied with their ongoing battles in Lebanon, and the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, which took effect on Wednesday, may have diverted Hezbollah’s attention. This shift in focus left the Syrian regime more vulnerable, according to experts like Dareen Khalifa from the International Crisis Group, who noted that the Syrian government’s weaknesses were becoming more apparent.
The insurgent advance toward Aleppo came after weeks of increasing violence, including government strikes on opposition-held regions. Despite Turkey’s diplomatic efforts to prevent these attacks, the Syrian government’s moves were viewed as violations of a 2019 de-escalation agreement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The Turkish government reported that the insurgents initially launched a limited attack, but the situation escalated as Syrian forces withdrew from their positions.
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In 2016, Aleppo was a turning point in the Syrian civil war, as government forces, backed by Russian and Iranian support, recaptured the city after a prolonged siege. While Turkey has supported opposition forces and maintains a military presence in Syria’s northwest, the United States has also backed Kurdish forces in the east to combat Islamic State militants.
The Syrian government has not officially commented on the insurgents’ breach of Aleppo, but Russian officials condemned the attack as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty. Syrian authorities claimed to have clashed with the insurgents in the Aleppo and Idlib countryside, destroying drones and heavy weaponry, and vowed to push back the attackers. However, insurgents posted videos online showing their use of drones, signaling an escalation in their capabilities. The insurgents also claimed to have seized significant military equipment, including vehicles and weapons, from the Syrian government forces.
The Syrian conflict continues to evolve as insurgent groups gain ground and the region’s geopolitical complexities grow.