Syrian authorities have closed Aleppo airport and canceled all flights following a rebel incursion into the city, military sources told Reuters on Saturday. The offensive, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is the first time opposition fighters have reached the center of Aleppo since their defeat nearly a decade ago.
Rebels launched their surprise attack on Wednesday, overrunning government-held towns and advancing into Aleppo by late Friday, according to an operations room that coordinated the attack.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, commander of the Jaysh al-Izza Brigade, attributed their rapid advance to the depletion of Iran-backed forces in the region, which have been weakened by Israeli attacks amid broader Middle East tensions stemming from the Gaza conflict.
According to opposition sources close to Turkish intelligence, Turkey reportedly gave tacit approval to the offensive. However, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keseli said Ankara prioritizes regional stability and cautioned that the recent attacks threaten existing de-escalation agreements.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has pledged additional military aid to Damascus to counter the offensive. “The new military hardware will arrive within 72 hours,” two military sources told Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the attack, calling it a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and calling for Intense Restoration of constitutional order.
The latest violence represents the most significant escalation since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey reached an agreement to reduce hostilities. Syrian state television denied reports of rebels entering Aleppo and claimed that Russian airstrikes had supported government forces in inflicting heavy losses on rebels in rural areas of Aleppo and Idlib.
Civilians suffer amid intense fighting
The United Nations has expressed grave concern over the humanitarian loss caused by the renewed conflict. “Continued attacks over the past three days have killed at least 27 civilians, including children as young as eight,” said David Cardon, the UN’s deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis.
State media agency SANA reported that four civilians, including two students, were killed in rebel shelling targeting university dormitories in Aleppo. It is unclear whether they are among the casualties reported by the United Nations.
As the fighting intensifies, concerns are growing over its potential to further destabilize the region, which has already suffered years of war and displacement.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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