Syrian rebels seize Aleppo, capturing advanced military assets
Syrian fighters from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction have taken Aleppo, where Bashar al-Assad's regime forces abandoned a substantial amount of military equipment, ranging from tanks to aircraft. Here's what the jihadists from HTS have captured.
Jihadists from HTS have taken Aleppo along with its surroundings and the region near the city of Hama. Syrian armed forces, caught off guard at the start of the offensive, panicked and abandoned their positions, leaving behind a considerable amount of equipment. In this manner, HTS not only acquired armoured equipment but also managed to capture aircraft and anti-aircraft systems.
Below you can find examples of the armoured equipment, including infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1/2 and tanks T-54/55, T-62 or T-72, and even two T-90A tanks, which will join one or two already used by HTS. There was even a loaded BM-27 Uragan multiple rocket launcher with a range of over 30 kilometres.
Tanks and rocket artillery — A painful loss for Syria
T-90A tanks are a thorough modernisation of T-72B tanks, primarily differing with a fire control system featuring thermal imaging and modern night vision, allowing operation at night and in adverse weather conditions.
Furthermore, it was a tank factory-equipped with Kontakt-5 reactive armour, which is uncommon for Syrian machines. In principle, only the newer T-72B and B3 (slightly over 300 units) delivered from Russia after 2015 possess it. Bashar al-Assad's regime has at most a few dozen T-90A tanks.
Aviation and anti-aircraft systems — A huge limitation of Bashar al-Assad's regime's aviation capabilities
Jihadists from HTS unexpectedly seized a significant amount of Syrian air defence systems, as they captured an entire S-125 Neva system battery, a self-propelled Pantsir-S1 system, and Buk-M2. Additionally, the rebels took control of Mi-8/17 helicopters and L-39 aircraft, as well as MiG-23 stationed at an airport near Aleppo. However, they might not be operational as kamikaze drones previously shelled the airport.
Acquired aircraft without logistical support and trained pilots are of limited value, but depriving Bashar al-Assad's regime of them will decrease the intensity of bombings. Unfortunately, it is unknown in what condition Syria's military aviation is after years of civil war, but surely, only a small portion of what was possessed before the conflict began is still operational. In such conditions, even the loss of single units is significant.
The rebels' most useful capture would be the anti-aircraft systems, which, if they learn to use them, could pose a threat to Syrian and Russian aviation. This particularly applies to the Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2, which, depending on the missiles in use, can engage targets up to 19 kilometres and 40-70 kilometres, respectively.
In contrast, the stationary S-125 Neva system is likely to be used as a source of improvised ballistic missiles, as has happened previously in Libya. The range and accuracy of such a weapon will be minimal, but a 50-kilogram fragmentation warhead, potentially with a larger supply of TNT, could cause considerable damage.
