Syria
Rebels take control of Aleppo
The fronts in Syria were stable for a long time, but now rebels are creating facts in the big city of Aleppo. Syrian government troops are withdrawing.
According to activists, the Syrian government has lost control of Aleppo following the advance of jihadist groups in northern Syria. “For the first time since the conflict began in 2012, the city of Aleppo is no longer under the control of the Syrian regime forces,” the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told the AFP news agency on Sunday, referring to the second largest Syrian city. Aleppo was the scene of bitter fighting during the civil war until it was recaptured by the government troops of ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2016.
Hundreds of thousands died in the civil war in Syria
The jihadist group Hajat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian branch of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, and its allies launched a surprising major offensive against the Syrian government’s forces on Wednesday. According to the Observatory, more than 320 people have been killed in the fiercest fighting since 2020, including 44 civilians. The UK-based Syrian Observatory (OSDH) has a network of various sources in Syria. Your information can hardly be verified by an independent party.
The Syrian army confirmed on Saturday that the jihadists had invaded “large parts” of Aleppo. Syria’s close ally Iran said “armed terrorist groups” had attacked the Iranian consulate in Aleppo. Meanwhile, the US said it saw the cause of the jihadists’ advance in Syria’s “dependence on Russia and Iran.”
The Syrian civil war began in 2011 after Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad used violence to suppress protests against the government. Half a million people were killed and millions more displaced.
From 2012 to 2016, Aleppo was the scene of bitter fighting between government troops, opposition groups, including Islamists, and the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia.
With the support of its allies Russia and Iran, the Syrian government regained control of large parts of the country in 2015. Assad also recaptured the large city of Aleppo in 2016 with the support of the Russian Air Force using massive bombing raids.
A ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia has been in effect in northern Syria since 2020. Although this had been broken again and again, it had largely calmed the region in recent years.
AFP
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
