Syrian rebel forces have seized control of several neighborhoods in Aleppo, marking their first significant presence in Syria’s second-largest city since 2016, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The monitoring group reported Friday evening that rebels now control more than half of Aleppo, representing the largest opposition offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s government in years. Video footage verified by BBC from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) shows rebel fighters entering the city’s western suburbs, approximately seven kilometers from the central medieval citadel.
Government forces claim to have regained positions in several towns across Aleppo and Idlib provinces following Wednesday’s offensive by HTS and allied factions. The Syrian government has deployed reinforcements to Aleppo, while all flights from the city’s airport have been suspended, according to a military source speaking to Reuters.
SOHR reported 255 casualties in the fighting, the deadliest between rebels and pro-government forces in years. Syrian and Russian aircraft conducted 23 air strikes on the Aleppo region Friday, according to the monitoring group.
The offensive comes as Assad’s government faces multiple challenges, including Israeli strikes on Iran-linked targets within Syria and the weakening of key ally Hezbollah in Lebanon due to Israeli military operations. Fighting had largely subsided in the region since a 2020 Turkish-Russian brokered ceasefire, but HTS and allied groups launched the current offensive citing “aggression” by government forces and allied militias.
The Syrian civil war, which began after government forces cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2011, has killed more than half a million people. While the government, backed by Russia and other allies, had reclaimed most lost territory, Idlib province remains under HTS control with Turkish-backed rebel presence.
