Syryjscy rebelianci zdobywają nowe obszary w regionie

Rebel forces claim to have captured the city of Maarat Al-Numan, thereby taking control of the entire province of the same name. Reuters also reported that after Islamist and rebel forces seized the largest neighborhoods of Aleppo on Saturday morning, neighboring the Idlib province, thousands of residents began heading towards the cities of Latakia and As-Salamijja, as the highway connecting Aleppo to Damascus is closed.

According to AP, the fighters encountered little resistance from the Syrian army in Aleppo and scattered throughout the city, while government forces are regrouping and preparing a counterattack. The army previously reported that „dozens of soldiers” have been killed in clashes with rebels, and admitted that rebels entered Aleppo, which had been under government control since 2016.

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Aleppo airstrikes

Furthermore, on Saturday, the Syrian air force and its Russian ally conducted airstrikes on Aleppo, with Russian forces participating for the first time since 2016. Fighter jets targeted the Al-Furkan district, located west of the city center.

The rebels who entered Aleppo include jihadist groups such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who are based in the Idlib province. In addition to jihadists, Turkey-backed rebels from the Syrian National Army are also stationed there. Since Wednesday, Islamist groups have seized about 50 towns, including in the Aleppo province, which is largely controlled by government forces.

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In 2011, a civil war broke out in Syria, plunging the country into chaos for years. In recent years, the Damascus government has regained control of most of the country, largely due to support from Russia and Iran. The conflict has claimed the lives of at least half a million people.
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