Sunni Islamist Forces Drive Back Syrian Government Troops in Aleppo

Last updated on November 30th, 2024 at 04:14 pm

Rebel forces have overwhelmed Syrian government-aligned forces and swept into the northwestern city of Aleppo in a surprise offensive on Nov. 27.

The surprise offensive has reignited fighting that had remained largely dormant since March of 2020, when Russia and Turkey helped broker a ceasefire across northern Syria. Low level fighting had continued in the years since the ceasefire, but the new offensive marks a major upheaval.

The fighting around Aleppo has been just one component of the Syrian Civil War; a multi-factional conflict that has continued since 2011.

Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—a Sunni Islamist faction designated as a terrorist organization by multiple countries, including the United States and Russia—led the new rebel offensive on Aleppo. HTS is, itself, a continuation of Jabhat al-Nusra, which was the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda. The Syrian government, under President Bashar al-Assad, have continued to refer to HTS as al-Nusra.

HTS said they launched their offensive, which they dubbed Operation “Deterrence of Aggression,” in response to intensifying artillery and drone attacks in the area from the government-aligned forces and allied Iranian forces.

The initial attack appears to have caught many of the government-aligned forces off guard. HTS has shared numerous photos and videos, claiming to show captured Syrian government troops, military vehicles, and weapons systems.

By Saturday, Nov. 30, the Syrian Ministry of Defense reported the government-aligned forces have repositioned to solidify their defensive lines and prepare for a counterattack.

The government said the rebel forces have entered large parts of Aleppo but said government air and artillery strikes have prevented the rebels from being able to effectively dig in.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense said they’re now waiting for additional forces to arrive to help in the counterattack.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), confirmed one of its senior military advisers in Syria—Brig. Gen. Kioumars Pour Hashemi—was killed in the fighting in Aleppo.

The Russian and Iranian governments, which both have supported Assad, have denounced the Aleppo offensive and affirmed support for the Syrian government forces.

Russian aircraft have already begun to assist Assad’s forces in countering the insurgent attack, according to Oleg Ignasyuk, a Russian military official in Syria.