BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian military confirmed on Saturday that rebel forces had entered significant parts of Aleppo in a surprise offensive that has left dozens of soldiers dead. The development marks one of the most serious challenges to President Bashar al-Assad’s authority in years.
The attack, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has reignited fighting in a region near the Turkish border, where frontlines in Syria’s protracted civil war had largely been frozen since 2020. In response, the Syrian army said it had redeployed forces to bolster defenses and was preparing a counteroffensive to restore state control.
“The large numbers of terrorists and the multiplicity of battlefronts prompted our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening defense lines, preserving civilian and military lives, and preparing for a counterattack,” the Syrian army said in a statement.
A Major Setback in Aleppo
This is the first time in eight years that the military has publicly acknowledged a rebel presence in Aleppo, which had been fully under government control since 2016, after Assad’s forces, backed by Russia and Iran, ousted opposition fighters.
Rebel forces reportedly captured large parts of the city, though the army claimed that its bombardments had prevented them from establishing fixed positions. “We will expel them and restore the control of the state over the entire city and its countryside,” the military pledged.
Two rebel sources said the insurgents had also seized Maraat al-Numan, a city in Idlib province, effectively bringing the entire province under rebel control. If confirmed, it would represent a significant blow to Assad’s government.
The offensive was launched from insurgent-held areas in northwestern Syria that remain beyond Assad’s control. The renewed fighting adds to the regional turmoil as wars rage in Gaza and Lebanon, where a ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah took effect earlier this week.
Two Syrian military sources reported that Russian and Syrian warplanes targeted rebel positions in Aleppo’s suburbs on Saturday. The Kremlin, in a statement on Friday, described the rebel attack as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty. “We support Syrian authorities in restoring constitutional order as soon as possible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Civil Defense, an opposition rescue organization also known as the White Helmets, reported that Russian and Syrian aircraft had carried out airstrikes on residential neighborhoods in rebel-held Idlib, killing four civilians and wounding six others.
Syrian military sources said that Russia has promised Damascus additional military aid, expected to arrive within 72 hours. In anticipation of further clashes, authorities closed Aleppo’s airport and roads leading to the city.
The Syrian army has reportedly ordered a “safe withdrawal” of troops from key areas of Aleppo now controlled by rebels, according to three military sources.
