The Syrian army announced that dozens of its soldiers were killed during a rebel offensive in northwestern Syria and that the rebels succeeded in entering significant parts of Aleppo, forcing the army to reposition.
The statement marks the first public acknowledgment by the Syrian military that rebels, led by the extremist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, have entered government-controlled Aleppo in a surprise assault launched earlier this week.
“A large number of terrorists and numerous battlefronts prompted our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening defensive lines to repel the attack, protect civilian and military lives, and prepare for a counteroffensive,” the army said.
The rebel offensive represents the greatest challenge in years for President Bashar al-Assad, shaking the frontlines of Syria’s civil war, which had largely stagnated since 2020.
The Syrian military’s statement added that the rebels have been unable to establish permanent positions in Aleppo due to ongoing military bombardments targeting their locations.
Two Syrian military sources reported earlier that Russian and Syrian warplanes targeted rebels in Aleppo’s outskirts yesterday. Russia deployed its air forces in Syria in 2015 to support Assad in the civil war that began in 2011.
Rebel forces launched their surprise offensive this week, moving through government-controlled towns and reaching Aleppo nearly a decade after government troops, with support from Russia and Iran, expelled them from the city.
Speaking on Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow views the rebel attack as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty.
“We support Syrian authorities in restoring order in the area and reestablishing constitutional authority as soon as possible,” he stated.
