Earlier on Wednesday, the people of Aleppo woke up with sound of fierce gunfire unprecedented since the 2020 ceasefire deal between central government and armed groups.
The story began when Idlib-based terrorist groups led by Tahrir Al-Sham launched a major offensive they called "Operation Deterring the Aggression" on two fronts in southeastern Idlib and western Aleppo.
The terrorist groups deployed hundreds of their fighters, including dozens of suicide bombers, in these attacks, and within two days, they carried out the most extensive attacks on several axes, and according to reports, about 26 kilometers of Syrian territory have become the scene of war and conflict.
Hassan Abdul Ghani, a spokesman for the terrorists, said in a statement on X: “The armed groups have taken full control of the western suburbs of Aleppo after fierce clashes with the Syrian army forces that lasted 36 hours.”
Abdul Ghani claimed that the terrorists seized the strategic town of Kafr Aleppo. The press office of terrorists also announced control of strategic locations in the southeastern outskirts of Idlib.
The terrorist groups also took control of the headquarters of the “46th Regiment” in the strategic town of Khan Al-Asl and dozens of towns and villages, as well as the Nayrab Airport in eastern Aleppo.
The 46th Regiment is stationed on a high hill near the city of Atarib and is the link between the Idlib and Aleppo suburbs. The forces of this regiment have special skills and expertise in conducting Syrian army's air operations.
A Syrian military source acknowledged that the rapid advances allowed the terrorists to be within 10 kilometers of the center of Aleppo and a few kilometers from the towns of Nubl and Al-Zahra, which are considered the city's defense line.
The attacks, which the terrorist groups have named Operation Fath Al-Mubin, are led by the Tahrir Al-Sham Front (TSF), the National Liberation Front (NLF) and a group of other armed groups in northwestern Syria.
The terrorists' operations room claimed to have taken control of an area of about 245 square kilometers in the past three days.
What are aims of terrorists behind Aleppo offensive?
Since the 2020 deal that was implemented by Russian, Iranian, and Turkish guarantees, this is the first large-scale violation of the conflict lines with the Syrian government by these terrorist groups.
The attacks followed repeated threats from takfiri groups to carry out large-scale operations in Aleppo and Idlib to regain the territories they lost in 2020. The terrorists announced the "Deterring the Aggression" operation, aimed at building deterrence against Syrian army attacks.
Abdul Ghani claimed to the Arab Post that "one of the reasons for the start of the battle was that the deployment of Syrian government troops on the outskirts of the liberated areas threatens the security of the region and its residents. The task of the operations room is to defend our people against this imminent danger that targets their existence and security... The aims of this operation were to disrupt the enemy's plans by conducting a calculated preemptive attack against the positions of the armed groups."
Osama Hajj Hussein, another commander of the terrorist groups’ operations, said in an interview with Arab Post: “With access to the Aleppo-Damascus international road, known as the M5 road, the route for sending supplies to Aleppo by Damascus forces will be cut off, and as a result, the possibility of advancing towards this city and controlling it will be guaranteed.”
Mohammad Khairuddin, another member of the terrorist groups, said: “This operation was carried out with the aim of protecting the liberated areas and preventing regime's attacks and the movement of Iranian and Hezbollah militias in the vicinity of the opposition areas.”
Syrian army reaction
Although the Takfiri groups used the element of surprise and managed to quickly sieze areas, their gains did not last long and the Syrian army, with the help of its allies, launched intensive attacks to recapture these areas.
According to Al-Alam news network, the Syrian army managed to take control of 400 square kilometers in 56 towns and villages in Aleppo and Idlib in the past two days.
In this regard, Syrian warplanes targeted the main headquarters of the terrorists' operations room in the suburbs of the city of Mariyah in northern Aleppo with missiles, killing a large number of fighters.
In these attacks, the terrorists seized the strategic town of Khan al-Asl, which is considered the gateway to Aleppo, but the Syrian army managed to retake this strategic city.
On the other hand, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces are repelling the terrorists' attack and have managed to inflict heavy damage on the Takfiri equipment and kill more than 150 terrorists from Tahrir Al-Sham in just one day.
The Syrian army, together with its allies, has been heavily engaged in several axes of Aleppo and Idlib and has targeted the positions of terrorist groups in areas such as Dara' Izza and Qabtan al-Jabal in the western suburbs of Aleppo with missile attacks.
The Syrian army has also retaken several areas, including the towns of Kafr al-Batikh, Jubrif and Jubas, and has deployed extensive military equipment on the front lines.
Also, the supply lines of terrorists in Affice, Sarmin, San, Nayrab, Maarblit in eastern suburbs and surroundings of the towns of Al-Bara, Falifl, Al-Fatirah, and Deir Al-Sunbul in Jabal Zawiyeh in southern suburbs of Idlib and surroundings of the towns of Al-Ankawi, Al-Qarqur and Kharbat Naqous in Sahl Qab in western Hama were targeted by Syrian army. The Aleppo international expressway was also blocked due to fierce clashes.
Syrian warplanes pounded a convoy of terrorists entering the suburbs of Aleppo to Manbij that is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Significance of Aleppo
Aleppo significance lies in the fact that it is the second most populated Syrian province and the country's business capital. It falls within the fourth "de-escalation zones" that were brokered by Russia and Turkey. Since the truce in 2020, armed groups have been threatening to re-sieze it.
So, capture of the strategic city which was highly important at the beginning of Syrian civil war upgrades the position of the siezers.
If the city is completely controlled by the central government, the terrorists will go under a blockade and lose the power to flex their muscles to Damascus.
Also, one of the supply ways of takfiri terrorists with Turkey will be blocked, paving the way for elimination of these groups in Idlib.
This city is important for the terrorists and they intend to fully control it to expand their areas and prospectively attack Syrian army and allies.
Footprints of foreign actors in Aleppo offensive
Having in mind that Aleppo offensive came on the heels of Lebanon ceasefire and Israeli loss to Hezbollah, some observers suggest that armed groups try to take advantage of the current regional conditions to sieze other parts of Aleppo suburbs and secure their military position in expectation of unpredicted political developments.
The observers suggest that in the attacks by terrorists that came immediately after announcement of Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, the Israeli and American footprints are observable.
Rami Abdul Rahman, the director of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that since months ago, officers from Eastern Europe have been training Tahrir Al-Sham on using drones and this raises possibility of Western intervention in rejuvenated Aleppo conflict.
Ibrahim Hazrawi, a field journalist in Aleppo told Al-Mashhad news website that start of these attacks after Israeli ceasefire with Lebanon and Netanyahu's threats who said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should not play with fire is not accidental.
According to Hazrawi, Israel may use Idlib terrorists card to press Damascus, especially that since the start of war in Lebanon, Netanyahu voiced readiness to attack Damascus and counter resistance groups.
Given Netanyahu's remarks and threatening al-Assad with assassination, it seems that Tel Aviv tries to destabilize Syria through strengthening takfiri terrorists in order to conclude the project of expelling Iran from near the occupied Palestinian territories, a project Netanyahu has been pursuing since a decade ago.
Netanyahu has also warned Damascus in recent weeks that it will pay a heavy price if it does not stop the Iranian arms delivery to Lebanon.
Therefore, Netanyahu, who is under intense pressure from the opposition for his inability to defeat Hezbollah, is likely to try his failed plan in Syria again, in order to distract public attention and ignite another crisis, claiming to focus on the Iranian threat in Syria.
On the other hand, there are signs of Turkey's role as the sole supporter of terrorist groups in the attack on Aleppo.
In this regard, media activists in Aleppo told the Al-Mashhad website: "Since the Turkish center is open to Tahrir Al-Sham and other armed groups, the Turkish army has equipped these groups and at the same time has strengthened its military movements and fortifications along the lines of escalation."
A field source in Aleppo also told Al-Mayadeen that convoys of armed men, equipment, and ammunition entered through the Bab Al-Salma crossing on the Turkish border and headed toward the war fronts in western Aleppo.
According to Aleppo media activists, Turkey is seeking to wrest concessions from Damascus ally Moscow in the Syrian conflict amid ongoing differences over Ukraine crisis.
Abdul Rahman commented on this issue, saying "if Turkey is involved in this [offensive], it may try to pressure the Syrian government to return to the negotiating table."
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently accused Bashar al-Assad of not being ready for a peace solution in Syria, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Moscow to pressure Damascus to normalize relations with Ankara.
So, it seems that Erdogan will use the takfiri groups card to re-destablize Syria and wrest political and military privileges from al-Assad government. The Syrian leader has repeatedly said that as long as Turkish forces exist in northern Syria, there will be no rapprochement. Erdogan does not approve of Syrian condition.
Arun Lund, a fellow researcher at Century Foundation, told Al-Hurra news that "this type of attack by the opposition that has only launched a few military moves in the past four years is a rare development." Lund predicted that Russia and Syria would respond strongly to these attacks, and that the most important role in this attack may come from Turkey.
Despite the moves by some foreign powers to arm and equip
terrorists in Aleppo, Damascus and its allies will not allow
re-destablization of Syria, and perhaps with the repeat of the Axis of
Resistance's Gaza and Lebanon victories this time in Syria, terrorists
in Syria can be eliminated forever after 13 years.
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