A major offensive by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions has ignited some of the heaviest fighting in northwest Syria in years, leaving over 200 dead.
The attack, which began on Wednesday in Aleppo province captured several villages, including a key Syrian military base, and severed the Damascus-Aleppo M5 highway, a vital transport route. The rebels advanced approximately 10 kilometers toward Aleppo, bringing them within one kilometer of the city’s outskirts.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Russian airstrikes on rebel-held areas have killed at least 19 civilians, while Syrian regime shelling killed one more. The HTS-led offensive also resulted in dozens of deaths among fighters on both sides.
#Syria / #Russia 🇸🇾🇷🇺: Tavhid va Jihod (“Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” militants from #Uzbekistan 🇺🇿) ambushed and killed #Russian Troops in #Aleppo.
Militants also captured an AKS-74U carbine —fitted with ZenitCo furnitures, silencer, Aimpoint Micro Red Dot sight and ATPIAL. pic.twitter.com/fSt0v0IE7S
— War Noir (@war_noir) November 27, 2024
The Syrian army, backed by Russian air power and allied militias, is attempting to regain lost territory.
The army’s statement described the attack as a wide-scale assault by “terrorists” and claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the advancing forces. Rebel leaders stated that the operation was launched to counter recent regime and Russian airstrikes on Idlib and to prevent a broader regime assault anticipated near Aleppo.
The attack marks the most significant rebel advance in northern Syria since a ceasefire was brokered by Turkey and Russia in March 2020. The agreement reduced large-scale fighting but left much of Idlib and neighboring provinces under HTS control.
The escalation follows weeks of intensified airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces in rebel-held areas, which likely prompted the HTS-led factions to act preemptively.
The recent incidents have displaced hundreds of families, adding to the already dire humanitarian crisis in northern Syria, according to reports.
