Jihadists claim to capture 56 villages in Aleppo

(MENAFN) Jihadist militants in Syria have claimed to capture 56 villages in western Aleppo province following a surprise offensive launched from the militant-controlled Idlib region on Wednesday. The Syrian military is reportedly responding with a counteroffensive, leveraging its air superiority. The assault, led by the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) group, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, and other allied militant factions, marks the most significant escalation in the area in years, breaking a fragile truce brokered by Russia and Turkey in 2020.

The jihadists assert they have seized around 400 square kilometers of territory, advancing to the outskirts of Aleppo by Thursday, and captured significant military hardware from the Syrian Army. In response, the Syrian military has launched airstrikes and mounted a counterattack, pushing the militants back from 20 villages. Syrian warplanes reportedly targeted a militant headquarters in Mare’ in northern Aleppo.

Since Russia's intervention in 2015, which helped the Syrian government combat jihadist groups threatening the country's stability, the region has been a focal point for international military involvement. Turkey has opposed offensives in Idlib, fearing they would lead to a new wave of refugees crossing its border. Meanwhile, US-backed Syrian militias maintain control in the northeast, where the US also has an unauthorized military presence.

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