Syrian Rebel Groups Initiate Significant Offensive in Northwest, Securing Land

An extensive offensive has been initiated by rebel forces in north-western Syria, marking the first instance in several years that they have seized land from President Bashar al-Assad’s troops. The Islamist militant organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), along with its associated factions, reported gaining control over multiple towns and villages across Aleppo and Idlib provinces since Wednesday. According to the Syrian military, its forces were engaged in countering a “large-scale” assault by “terrorists,” causing significant casualties among them. A monitoring group based in the UK stated that over 180 combatants from opposing sides had died in the clashes. It further noted that Syrian and Russian air strikes on areas controlled by the opposition had resulted in the deaths of at least 19 civilians. The civil war, which began in 2011 following the government’s violent suppression of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations, has claimed the lives of over half a million individuals. Idlib represents the final opposition stronghold and accommodates over 4 million residents, a significant portion of whom have been displaced by the conflict and are enduring severe living circumstances. While HTS primarily controls this enclave, Turkish-backed rebel factions, operating as the Syrian National Army (SNA), and Turkish forces also maintain a presence within the region. A ceasefire was negotiated in 2020 by Turkey and Russia, a firm ally of Assad, with the aim of stopping a government advance to reclaim Idlib. This resulted in a prolonged period of reduced violence, though intermittent clashes, air strikes, and shelling persisted. The UN special envoy for Syria issued a warning last month, indicating that the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon seemed to be “catalysing conflict in north-west Syria in a dangerous manner”. Geir Pedersen noted that HTS had conducted a notable incursion into government-controlled territories, Russia had recommenced air strikes after several months, and pro-government forces had considerably intensified drone strikes and shelling. HTS and its allies declared on Wednesday that they initiated their offensive with the goals to “deter aggression” and “thwart the enemy’s plans,” attributing escalation and aggression in the north-west to the government and its allied Iran-backed militias. This offensive, however, occurred while the Syrian government and its allies were engaged in other conflicts. In adjacent Lebanon, an Israeli military operation has severely impacted the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, whose combatants were instrumental in shifting the momentum of the Syrian civil war. Concurrently, Israel has increased its air strikes within Syria against targets associated with Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iran-backed militia groups, as Russian forces concentrate on the conflict in Ukraine. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that by the conclusion of the offensive’s initial day, rebel forces had pushed into the western Aleppo countryside, bringing them within 10km (6 miles) of Aleppo city’s periphery. The SOHR indicated that the rebels had captured the Syrian army 46th Regiment’s base and a minimum of eight villages. The monitoring group stated on Thursday that rebels had severed the M5 highway connecting Aleppo and the capital Damascus close to Zarbah, 15km south-west of Aleppo city, and had secured the interchange between the M5 and M4 highways further south, near Saraqeb. The SOHR further reported that 121 rebels, predominantly HTS members, along with 40 government troops and 21 militiamen, had died over the preceding two days. In a Telegram statement, the rebels announced they had taken control of Khan al-Assal, a town situated 5km west of Aleppo city, and had eliminated over 200 pro-government combatants. A Syrian military statement released on Thursday indicated that its forces had “confronted the terrorist attack that is still ongoing with various weapons and in co-operation with friendly forces, leaving heavy losses in equipment and causalities among terrorists”. While the statement made no reference to casualties among its own troops, Iranian news agencies reported that Brig Gen Kioumars Pourhashemi, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards acting as a “military adviser” in Syria, had been killed in Aleppo province. Concurrently, the Syria Civil Defence, whose emergency responders are recognized as the White Helmets, reported on Thursday that Syrian and Russian warplanes had targeted residential areas and commercial establishments in Atareb, an opposition-held town 20km west of Aleppo, resulting in the deaths of 14 civilians, among them three children and two women. The organization also documented that four civilians had perished in Darat Izza, located north of Atareb. It further stated that another civilian died due to a rocket attack on a camp for displaced individuals near the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish border on Wednesday. David Carden, the UN’s Deputy Regional Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Syria, expressed profound concern regarding the effect of the intensifying hostilities on civilian populations. The International Rescue Committee reported that nearly 7,000 families had been displaced, and certain health facilities and schools were compelled to halt their operations. The committee urged for an “immediate de-escalation” and implored all involved parties to guarantee the safety of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian activities. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.