Military confirms Syrian rebels control majority of Aleppo City

In a surprise attack led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, insurgents have managed to enter the government-controlled city of Aleppo, the Syrian military confirmed on Saturday. Dozens of troops have been killed in the northwestern region of Syria during the first public confirmation of the attack. The army has deployed additional forces to strengthen defence lines and prepare for a counterattack. This marks a significant challenge to President Bashar al-Assad, with the Syrian civil war frontlines being shifted for the first time since 2020. Insurgents have been unable to hold fixed positions in the city due to continuous military bombardment, with Russian and Syrian warplanes targeting them in an Aleppo suburb. Russian President Putin deployed air force to Syria in 2015 to support Assad during the civil war. The rebels’ offensive began earlier this week and marks their return to Aleppo nearly a decade after being driven out by forces backed by Russia and Iran. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has called the rebel attack a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and has urged the Syrian authorities to restore order quickly. The situation is developing rapidly, with the Syrian military and insurgents in a tense standoff in Aleppo. As the conflict escalates, the international community is closely monitoring the situation for further developments.

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