Assad Suffers Major Setback as Rebels Seize Parts of Aleppo “`
BEIRUT — Thousands of Syrian rebels, in makeshift armored vehicles and trucks, spread throughout Aleppo on Saturday, occupying locations like the ancient citadel. This followed their largely unopposed entry into Syria’s largest city the previous day, according to residents and fighters.
Witnesses reported two Friday night airstrikes near residential areas, targeting insurgent reinforcements. A conflict monitor stated that 20 fighters perished in these attacks.
In a Saturday statement, the Syrian armed forces explained that their redeployment to absorb the Aleppo assault and minimize casualties is underway, preparing for a counteroffensive. While acknowledging rebel presence in significant portions of the city, the statement denied the establishment of insurgent bases or checkpoints.
Video footage showed insurgents near police headquarters, in the city center, and outside the Aleppo Citadel. They defaced and destroyed posters of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
This unexpected takeover is a major setback for Assad, who had regained full control of Aleppo in 2016 after a protracted military campaign, expelling rebels and thousands of civilians from eastern neighborhoods with support from Russia, Iran, and their allies.
Since then, Aleppo had remained free from opposition attacks. The 2016 battle for Aleppo marked a turning point in the conflict, sparked by the 2011 protests against Assad’s rule.
The Aleppo offensive followed weeks of escalating tensions, including government attacks on opposition areas. Turkey, a supporter of Syrian opposition groups, failed in diplomatic efforts to prevent these Syrian government attacks, violating a 2019 agreement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran designed to stabilize the conflict’s front lines.
The offensive coincided with Iran-backed groups, mainly Lebanon’s Hezbollah (a supporter of the Syrian government since 2015), being engaged in their own domestic conflicts. A ceasefire in Hezbollah’s two-month war with Israel began Wednesday—the same day the Syrian opposition launched their offensive. Israel has also intensified attacks on Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria over the past 70 days.
Insurgents raise flag over Aleppo Citadel
A witness in Aleppo stated that government troops remained at the city’s airport and military academy, but most forces had withdrawn from the city via the south. Syrian Kurdish forces maintained control of two neighborhoods.
The military statement described the redeployment as “a temporary measure” and that the central command and armed forces will work to secure Aleppo.
Speaking from Saadallah Aljabri square, opposition fighter Mohammad Al Abdo, described his return to Aleppo after 13 years, since his brother’s death at the war’s outset.
“God willing, the rest of Aleppo province will be liberated” from government forces, he stated.
Saturday saw light traffic in the city center. Opposition fighters celebrated with celebratory gunfire, but no clashes or government troops were observed.
Abdulkafi Alhamdo, a teacher who fled Aleppo in 2016 and returned Friday night, described “mixed feelings of pain, sadness, and old memories.”
“As I entered Aleppo, I kept telling myself this is impossible! How did this happen?” He recounted visiting the citadel, where insurgents raised their flags, a major square, the university, and other locations he remembered from before his departure.
“I walked in (the empty) streets of Aleppo, shouting, ‘People, people of Aleppo. We are your sons,’” Alhamdo told The Associated Press.
The insurgents launched their offensive in the Aleppo and Idlib countryside on Wednesday, seizing control of numerous villages and towns before entering Aleppo on Friday.
The pro-government Al-Watan newspaper reported airstrikes on the edge of Aleppo, targeting rebel supply lines. It shared a video showing a missile hitting fighters and vehicles.
City hospitals are full
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 20 fighters killed in the airstrikes. Aleppo residents reported clashes and gunfire, prompting some to flee.
Schools and government offices closed Saturday, with most people staying indoors, according to Sham FM radio. Bakeries remained open. Witnesses said insurgents deployed security forces to prevent violence or looting.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the city’s airport was closed and all flights suspended. On Friday, Aleppo’s two main public hospitals were reportedly full, and many private facilities closed, OCHA said.
Social media posts showed insurgents outside Aleppo Citadel and engaging in conversations with residents to reassure them.
The Syrian Kurdish-led administration in the east reported that nearly 3,000 people, mostly students, had fled to their areas.
State media reported that several “terrorists,” including sleeper cells, infiltrated the city, and that government forces apprehended some who posed for photos near city landmarks.
On Saturday morning’s state television, commentators attributed the insurgency to Turkey’s support and predicted that army reinforcements and Russia would repel the “terrorist groups.”
Russia’s Tass news agency cited a Russian Defense Ministry official, Oleg Ignasyuk, stating that Russian warplanes targeted and killed 200 militants involved in the northwest offensive on Friday. No further details were given.