Syrian Troops, Airstrikes Clash with Rebel Offensive in Aleppo

For the first time since 2016, Syrian government forces clashed with insurgents inside Aleppo, the country’s largest city, while airstrikes targeted rebel supply lines on the city’s outskirts, according to state media reports on Saturday.

On Friday, insurgents breached government defenses in Aleppo, advancing into the western part of the city with minimal resistance. Their offensive, which began on Wednesday, has already resulted in the capture of numerous towns and villages, including a key strategic location south of Aleppo.

The pro-government newspaper Al-Watan reported that airstrikes were conducted on the outskirts of Aleppo to target rebel supply routes. A video released by the newspaper showed a missile hitting a group of fighters and vehicles on a tree-lined street. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the ongoing conflict, reported that 20 fighters were killed in the airstrike aimed at reinforcements.

Residents of Aleppo reported gunfire and clashes, with some fleeing the violence. Most schools and government offices were closed on Saturday, and the majority of people stayed indoors, although bakeries remained open, according to Sham FM, a pro-government radio station.

Insurgents posted on social media showing themselves outside Aleppo’s Citadel, an ancient palace in the city center. In videos, they spoke with local residents, assuring them they meant no harm.

State media indicated that several “terrorists,” including sleeper cells, had infiltrated parts of the city. Syrian government forces were actively pursuing and arresting some of them, with photos of the captured insurgents taken near iconic landmarks in Aleppo.

On a state TV program Saturday, commentators stated that reinforcements from the Syrian army, alongside support from Russia, would push back the insurgents, blaming Turkey for backing the groups that launched the assault on Aleppo. Russia’s state news agency Tass reported that Russian warplanes killed 200 militants on Friday who were part of the offensive in the northwest but did not provide additional details.

Aleppo had remained largely free of opposition forces since 2016, when government forces, with support from Russia and Iran, recaptured eastern neighborhoods of the city following a lengthy siege and intense military operations.

The current attack follows weeks of rising tensions, with low-level violence between the Syrian government and opposition-held areas. Turkey, a supporter of opposition groups, had failed in its diplomatic efforts to halt the Syrian government’s military actions, which were seen as violating a 2019 agreement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran that was meant to freeze hostilities.

The offensive also coincides with a ceasefire in Hezbollah’s two-month conflict with Israel, which ended on Wednesday, the same day the Syrian opposition launched their assault. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified attacks against Hezbollah and Iran-backed targets in Syria over the past two months.

Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu reported that insurgents have taken control of significant portions of both Aleppo and Idlib countryside.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo marked a critical turning point in the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 as protests against President Bashar Assad’s regime. Russia and Iran, along with allied groups, played a crucial role in helping the Syrian government reclaim control of the city after weeks of intense fighting and siege.