Civil war in Syria: Western states call for de-escalation in Syria

The USA, Germany, France and Great Britain have called on the parties to the conflict in Syria to de-escalate. Since the surprisingly rapid advance of rebels and the displacement of Syrian government troops from Aleppo, the civil war in the country, after years of largely stalemate, has regained dangerous momentum within a few days: Russian and Syrian warplanes increased their attacks in order to bring the situation under control for the government receive. The Iranian foreign minister also assured Syria of continued support in the fight against opposition forces.

Western states: Prevent further expulsions

Given the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the new escalation in Syria comes amid a highly tense situation in the Middle East – and cannot be viewed in isolation from it. The rebels are likely to have exploited the current weakness of pro-Iranian militias and Iran itself for their advance. Russia, as the Syrian regime’s most important ally, is also tied up in the war in Ukraine.

“We are closely monitoring developments in Syria and call on all parties to de-escalate and protect civilians and infrastructure to prevent further displacement and disruption of humanitarian access,” said a joint statement released overnight by the US State Department the four NATO states USA, Germany, France and Great Britain.

The current escalation only underlines the urgent need for a Syrian-led political solution to the conflict in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The United Nations’ top body has passed a series of resolutions on the Syrian war. Resolution 2254 of December 18, 2015 provides, among other things, for the government to mediate peace talks with the opposition.

An alliance of rebels led by the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) succeeded in pushing Syrian government troops out of Aleppo in a very short time and taking control of the city over the weekend. The HTS group is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA, among others, and, according to experts, pursues a Salafist-jihadist ideology.

The civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, hundreds of thousands died, there was great destruction and a large movement of refugees from the country. Many refugees from Syria sought protection in Lebanon, which was itself the scene of a war between Israel and the Shiite Hezbollah militia.

For Assad, the insurgents are terrorists

Syria’s ruler Assad has announced a counteroffensive in response to the advance of the rebels. “The destruction of terrorism” serves the stability and security of the entire region, Assad said at a meeting with the Iranian foreign minister. Assad is accused of war crimes such as the use of poison gas and torture.

Along with Russia, Iran is an important ally of the Syrian government in the war. At the weekend, Russia’s air force attacked Aleppo for the first time since 2016. There were also Russian air strikes against rebels elsewhere in northwestern Syria.

Aleppo was the scene of heavy fighting between rebel groups and government troops in the early years of the civil war. The city was devastated. Residents of the megacity are worried about the government’s announced counterattacks. These would put “the lives of thousands of civilians” in danger, says Mohammed Hanan of the dpa. Khalid Imad is also afraid of air strikes. Many residents feel the same way, he reports. They are currently avoiding the large markets in the city for fear that they could be targeted by air strikes.

A local resident also sees the rebels as a threat. “Cars carrying armed groups drive through the streets and markets of Aleppo.” Malak Abdul-Rahman reports that there are far fewer people on the streets than usual. After the offensive began, thousands of residents also left Aleppo, including on foot, according to some eyewitnesses.

Assad’s government recently controlled around two-thirds of the country with the help of its allies Russia and Iran. Different opposition forces dominate parts of the northwest and northeast.

Casualties in Russian and Syrian airstrikes

According to activists, Russian air strikes killed HTS fighters as well as civilians. Twelve people, including eight civilians, were killed in bombings near a clinic in central Aleppo, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 23 people were injured. The activists get their information from a network of informants in Syria.

According to Syrian sources, Moscow and Damascus also bombed rebels in a town 25 kilometers from Aleppo. Dozens of opposition fighters were “killed and injured,” the state agency Sana reported in the evening, citing Syrian army circles. The exact number of victims was initially unclear.

Residents of the affected town of Al-Safira told the German Press Agency that rebels had now also taken over their town. None of the information could initially be independently verified.

Syrian Kurds in distress

According to observers, Turkish-backed rebels are currently using the confusing situation after the rebel offensive for their own purposes. They are currently increasingly attacking the Kurdish militias they hate in northern Syria.

After fierce fighting, pro-Turkish fighters captured the town of Tal Rifat, which is around 30 kilometers north of Aleppo, on Sunday. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Ankara-backed rebels also took over other locations in the area. Around 200,000 Kurds are currently stuck there. They feared massacres by the pro-Turkish rebels.

The YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control large areas in northern Syria. Turkey has long wanted to weaken the influence of Kurdish militias on its border. The USA sees the YPG as a partner in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS); for Turkey, the Kurdish militia is a terrorist organization. Observers believe that the SDF could lose many areas as a result of the developments.