Insurgents have breached Syria’s largest city and clashed with government forces for the first time since 2016.
ALEPPO , SYRIA - NOVEMBER 29: Anti-regime armed groups clashing with Bashar al-Assad regime forces in Syria start to enter Aleppo city center in Syria on November 29, 2024. BEIRUT — Insurgents breached Syria ’s largest city Friday and clashed with government forces for the first time since 2016, according to a war monitor and fighters, in a surprise attack that sent residents fleeing and added fresh uncertainty to a region reeling from multiple wars.
Robert Ford, who was the last U.S. ambassador to Syria, said the attack showed that Syrian government forces are “extremely weak.” In some cases, he said, they appear to have “almost been routed.”This week’s advances were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by thegroup, or HTS, and represent the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when government forces seized areas previously controlled by the opposition.
Turkish security officials said Thursday that Syrian opposition groups initially launched a long-planned “limited” offensive toward Aleppo, where attacks targeting civilians originated. However, the offensive expanded as Syrian government forces began retreating from their positions, the officials said.
Besides backing opposition forces, Turkey has also established a military presence in Syria, sending troops into parts of the northwest. Separately and largely in the east of Syria, the United States has supported Syrian Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants.The Kremlin said Friday that it considered the attack an encroachment on Syria’s sovereignty and that it supported the quickest possible establishment of constitutional order in the region.
An insurgent commander posted a recorded message on social media calling on Aleppo residents to cooperate with the advancing forces. Syrian armed forces said the insurgents are violating a 2019 agreement that de-escalated fighting in the area, the last remaining opposition stronghold for years.Hezbollah was “the main force” in the government’s control of Aleppo, said Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Observatory.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria’s largest city for 1st time since 2016The attack injected new violence into a region experiencing dual wars in Gaza and Lebanon involving Israel, and other conflicts, including the unresolved Syrian civil war that began in 2011.
Read more »
In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria’s largest city for the first time since 2016Aleppo has not been attacked by opposition forces since they were ousted from eastern neighborhoods in 2016 following a grueling military campaign.
Read more »
In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria's largest city for the first time since 2016Insurgents have breached Syria's largest city and clashed with government forces for the first time since 2016, according to a war monitor and fighters.
Read more »
In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria’s largest city for the first time since 2016Insurgents breached Syria's largest city Friday and clashed with government forces for the first time since 2016, according to a war monitor and fighters.
Read more »
Insurgents breach Syria's second-largest city Aleppo in shock offensiveInsurgents have breached Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, and were clashing with government forces on the city's western edge on Friday, according to a Syria war monitor and fighters.
Read more »
Insurgents breach Syria's second-largest city Aleppo in shock offensiveInsurgents have breached Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, clashing with government forces, according to a Syria war monitor and fighters.
Read more »