Syria Rebels Seize Aleppo Airport, Tighten Grip On Hama As President Bashar Al-Assad's Forces Retreat

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Syria Coup: Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led rebels seized control of large parts of Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities, after a surprise offensive this week. The rebels also claimed control of the city's international airport. According to reports, the Syrian rebels later advanced south, towards the central city of Hama.

The Syrian armed opposition announced an effort to expand safe areas and allow displaced civilians in the Idlib province to return to their homes in recently captured territories.

Also Read | Syrian rebels seize territory from government in renewed offensive

Russian and Syrian government air strikes pounded central Aleppo on Saturday. Russia claimed that the Syrian military killed 300 rebels with Russian air support over the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the United States said it“has nothing to do” with the rebel offensive but blamed al-Assad's reliance on Russia and Iran for the renewed violence.

The forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , which had previously held Aleppo, with the support of allies in Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah, have withdrawn as rebels make further inroads into Aleppo.

Also Read | Is Syria's drug-dealing dictator coming in from the cold? This is the first time air strikes had targeted Aleppo since 2016, when the Syrian opposition was driven out of the city.

The push is among the Syrian rebels' is the strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country's borders.

It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped Syrian President Bashar Assad retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia, Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control.

Had Syria's Civil War Nightmare Come to an End?

For years, many believed that despite the complex web of control in Syria – with the US-backed Kurdish forces , Turkish-supported Sunni factions, and Hezbollah, Iran, and Russia backing the regime – the government in Damascus had managed to maintain its grip.

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