Rebel surge: Surprise takeover of Aleppo stuns Syria observers
Rebels in Syria, led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have taken control of the international airport in Aleppo. After capturing most of the city, they launched an offensive in the nearby Hama province, reports the Associated Press, citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Following the capture of Aleppo, the rebels, numbering in the thousands, seized towns and villages in the Hama province with little resistance from government forces. On Saturday evening, they entered the provincial capital, the city of Hama. This province was under the rebels' control until 2016, when they were expelled by the Syrian army.
President Assad's reaction
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in his first public statement since the start of the offensive, announced that Syria will defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists. He declared that the rebels will soon be defeated.
HTS fighters and their allies began an offensive against government forces on Wednesday. On Saturday, they took control of most of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city. Intense fighting continues between government forces and rebels, with more than 310 people killed so far according to the SOHR. This is the most serious fighting in Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkey, both of which support the rebels, reached an agreement that ended most hostilities.
Heavy fighting and international surprise
International analysts are surprised by the ease with which the rebels managed to seize Aleppo and the Idlib province. The civil war in Syria, which broke out in 2011, threw the country into chaos for a considerable time.
In recent years, the government in Damascus has managed to regain control over most of the country's territory, largely thanks to support from Russia and Iran. It is estimated that at least half a million people have died in the conflict.
