Nearly a week after launching a surprise offensive against Bashar al-Assad's army, Syrian rebels, spearheaded by Salafist organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, continue their gains, seizing four towns near Hama and advancing to within six miles of the city, the country’s fourth-largest. Assad's regime is fortifying defensive lines in preparation for a counterattack. Meanwhile, clashes have erupted on a new front in Deir ez-Zor province, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have launched an attack.
Fighting in Idlib
(Video: Reuters)
The rebel offensive began on Wednesday, coinciding with a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Exploiting the weakened state of Assad’s allies – Hezbollah, pro-Iran militias, and a distracted Russia – the rebels captured large areas of Aleppo province, forcing Syrian forces to abandon their positions. For the first time since the war's onset, rebels have taken full control of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. Assad’s forces admitted they are “reorganizing” and have received reinforcements from Iraqi militias.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Assad's forces regained one village, Khanaser, but the rebels are advancing south toward Hama. Four towns – Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, Mardis, and Suran – have been captured, with rebels claiming to have killed 50 regime fighters in the process. A photographer from AFP witnessed dozens of abandoned tanks and military vehicles on the road to Hama.
"Violent clashes are taking place in northern Hama province," reported the Observatory, adding that Syrian and Russian air forces are carrying out heavy bombardments.
In Deir ez-Zor, Kurdish-led SDF forces, supported by the U.S., claimed to have seized seven villages near a U.S. military base. However, Syrian media denied their advance, and the Observatory confirmed no significant Kurdish gains. Pro-Iranian militias were accused of artillery fire that killed four civilians, including a child. Airstrikes also targeted Idlib, a rebel stronghold, killing three civilians in a hospital bombing. The EU condemned Russia’s actions, accusing it of targeting populated areas.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Fear and uncertainty loom over Aleppo, now under rebel control. “We don’t know what will happen,” one resident told AFP, adding that rebel fighters “haven’t harassed” them but have asked his daughters to wear veils. G
eorge Manessian, an Armenian political commentator in contact with Aleppo Armenians, said jihadists from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham have promised not to harm minorities. “On the first day, one fighter knocked on the door of an Armenian neighbor and assured him they would respect Christians and Armenians,” he told the BBC. However, he warned against trusting such promises, citing past incidents where Islamist militias initially avoided harming minorities but later committed crimes against them.
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 during the Arab Spring, has claimed over half a million lives and displaced millions. While fighting had diminished in recent years, this new offensive marks a major escalation, threatening Assad’s hold on key territories. Since the attack began, 514 people have been killed, including 92 civilians, and nearly 50,000 have been displaced, many of them children.