Russian Air Strikes Intensify Amid Syrian Rebel Gains Following Aleppo Capture

On Sunday, Russia conducted “a series of air strikes” in Syria, coinciding with rebel advancements following their capture of Aleppo, as reported by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). SOHR stated that a strike on a hospital in Aleppo resulted in 12 fatalities. Additionally, a separate strike within the north-western city of Idlib claimed the lives of eight civilians and injured over 50 individuals. The observatory further noted that warplanes targeted rural areas of Idlib and Hama, regions where the rebel offensive’s leading group “has recently taken control.” Meanwhile, the Syrian government has relinquished control of Aleppo, a first since the onset of the nation’s civil war, according to observers speaking to news agency AFP. This unexpected offensive by opposition forces, which commenced on Wednesday, represents the most substantial combat in Syria’s civil war in recent memory. The offensive has been spearheaded by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allied factions, which receive support from Turkey. SOHR reported that over 300 people, among them a minimum of 20 civilians, have been killed to date. On Saturday, Russian strikes impacted Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, for the first time since 2016, coinciding with rebel fighters entering the city, observers indicated. During the height of the civil war, the Russian air force was instrumental in maintaining President Bashar al-Assad’s authority. Early on Sunday, SOHR documented five Russian air strikes on a refugee camp in Idlib, a north-western city where HTS holds dominant power. Subsequently, SOHR reported four strikes on Aleppo University Hospital, resulting in 12 deaths, including eight civilians, with other areas of the city also being hit. On Sunday, opposition fighters took control of almost the entire city from the government, SOHR informed AFP, with the exception of areas under Kurdish forces’ control. Syria’s military forces retreated from the city to ready a counteroffensive. Concurrently, rebels advanced southward from Aleppo, moving into various towns in the rural vicinity of Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, as per SOHR. Syria’s defence ministry stated that its forces had “reinforced [its] defensive lines” in the area with additional troops, rocket launchers, and heavy military equipment. A statement from the ministry indicated that “Joint Syrian-Russian warplanes” had escalated precise strikes against rebel positions, causing dozens of deaths and injuries. The ministry further asserted that its troops had retaken several captured towns, halted rebel advances, and claimed that rebels were retreating from the region. The United Nations (UN) special envoy for Syria cautioned that the situation presents “severe risks to civilians and [has] serious implications for international peace and security.” Geir O Pederson mentioned his repeated warnings regarding the perils of “mere conflict management rather than conflict resolution” in Syria. He characterized the current conflict as a “mark of collective failure” to pursue a ceasefire in the nation, an objective endorsed by the UN Security Council in 2015, which called for “urgent and serious political engagement” to achieve it. On Saturday, President Assad pledged to “defend [Syria’s] stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers.” His office quoted him stating that “[The country] is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them, no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are.” Iran’s chief diplomat declared that the nation, a longstanding ally of President Assad, “firmly support[s] the Syrian government and army.” Foreign minister Abbas Aragchi released this statement prior to his visit to Damascus on Sunday to confer about the offensive. The civil war, which has claimed approximately half a million lives, commenced in 2011 when the Assad government responded to pro-democracy demonstrations with a harsh crackdown. The conflict had remained largely inactive since a 2020 ceasefire agreement, though opposition forces retained control of the north-western city of Idlib and a significant portion of its surrounding province. Idlib is situated merely 55km (34 miles) from Aleppo, which previously served as a rebel stronghold until government forces recaptured it in 2016. HTS, the group spearheading the current offensive, was considered among the most effective and lethal factions opposing the Assad government and already held a dominant position in Idlib. SOHR reported that the rebels seized Aleppo’s airport and numerous adjacent towns. An overnight curfew, effective from 17:00 local time on Saturday (14:00 GMT), was also declared by them. Furthermore, SOHR indicated that rebel fighters had progressed southward towards Hama and that the Syrian army had pulled back. However, a military source cited in Syrian state media on Saturday night contested this assertion. The Syrian army stated that rebels had initiated “a broad attack from multiple axes on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts” and that engagements had occurred “over a strip exceeding 100km (60 miles).” It also reported that dozens of its soldiers had been killed. A US spokesperson commented that Syria’s “reliance on Russia and Iran,” coupled with its unwillingness to proceed with a 2015 UN Security Council peace plan, had “created the conditions now unfolding” within the nation. Images from Saturday depicted roads exiting Aleppo congested with vehicles as individuals attempted to depart, and smoke visible against the city’s skyline.