BEIRUT — In a rapid response to a recent surge in rebel activity, the Syrian military sent additional forces to the northern Hama countryside on Sunday to counter the advances made by insurgents who have taken control of parts of Aleppo and other significant areas in a surprise offensive.
Insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham successfully captured a large portion of Aleppo on Saturday and claimed that they have made inroads into the city of Hama, although independent validation of this assertion is currently lacking. In a separate statement, rebel commander Col. Hassan Abdulghani disclosed that the insurgents have also seized Sheikh Najjar, known as the Aleppo Industrial City, along with key military installations such as the military academy and field artillery college located to the southwest of Aleppo.
The situation has attracted international attention, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in Damascus later that day, reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to support the Syrian government and military.
This unexpected offensive represents a significant setback for President Bashar Assad, raising concerns about the readiness and effectiveness of his armed forces. This escalation comes at a time when Assad’s allies, including Iran and Russia, are preoccupied with their own regional conflicts, further complicating the situation.
State media in Syria reported that government troops have claimed responsibility for the deaths of nearly 1,000 insurgents over the course of the last three days, although these assertions have not been substantiated with evidence.
In the wake of these developments, government airstrikes targeted Idlib city, the stronghold for rebels situated approximately 65 kilometers southeast of Aleppo, resulting in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to 54 others, as reported by the Syrian Civil Defense group, also known as the White Helmets.
According to reports from Syrian state news agency SANA and a war monitoring group, the military has managed to repel insurgent forces in the northern Hama countryside. An opposition war monitor based in Britain, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, noted that the reinforcements deployed by the government have established a “strong defensive line” against insurgent advances in the northern sector of Hama.
Both the Syrian Observatory and state-run Al-Ikhbariyah reported ongoing Russian airstrikes targeting areas in Idlib as well as regions presently under rebel control.
In his first public remarks made since the onset of the offensive, President Assad, through state news channels, reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to “defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters.” He expressed confidence that the Syrian forces would prevail against these threats, regardless of the increasing intensity of the attacks.
The battle for Aleppo in 2016 marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict between Syrian government forces and insurgents, following widespread protests against Assad’s regime that escalated into civil war. The fierce combat in Aleppo ultimately solidified Assad’s grip on key regions of the country, while opposition factions and their foreign backers found themselves relegated to controlling only the periphery.
