In a swift and well-coordinated attack on Saturday, thousands of Syrian rebels took over the majority of Aleppo, including its international airport, and advanced into the nearby province of Hama. In what seems to be one of the worst blows for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in years, the militants, commanded by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization, encountered little to no opposition from government forces.
HTS forces quickly took control of Aleppo International Airport, the first-time terrorists have taken over an international airport in Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor. Online videos and images allegedly depicting fighters inside the airport with a victory claim went viral.
Expanding Offensive to Hama
The insurgents didn’t stop with Aleppo. Thousands of fighters reportedly moved into northern Hama, an area they previously controlled before being ousted by government forces in 2016. By Saturday evening, they announced they had entered the city of Hama, pushing further into government-held territories with minimal opposition.
The rapid offensive has raised some real questions concerning the preparedness and resilience of the army aligned with Assad. Analysts contend that this attack, which was triggered from the HTS’s stronghold in north-western Syria, was very well planned for several years. Its timing coincided with the distractions among Assad’s allies, who were undergoing their own struggles, highlighting the strategy behind the operation.
Assad’s reply
Assad reiterated his government’s resolve to fight against what he referred to as “terrorists and their backers” through the state news outlet, marking his first public comment since the advent of the offensive. He kept repeating that Syria would safeguard its stability and territorial integrity.
The straw of the argument: “The Syrian people have endured and will continue to endure and stand firm against any attendant aggression, no matter how strong it may be,” said Assad.
Türkiye, a major sustained of Syrian opposition forces, commented on the events. Turkish authorities admitted that their attempts at mediation and disruption of the ongoing government attacks on opposition-controlled territory had been unsuccessful. They stated that the present rebellion started out as limited response to government advances but rapidly grew as regime component retreated.
In turn, the circumstance sheds light on the precarious nature of the de-escalation agreement brokered by Russia, Iran and Türkiye. Ankara has censured the Assad government for carrying out the agreement’s breaches in its recent attacks on the areas under the control of the opposition forces causing thousands of civilians to flee. Turkish officials suggested that the rebel offensive was partly aimed at creating conditions for displaced families to return.
The surprise counteroffensive is regarded as a significant humiliation for Assad’s government, which has long maintained a unified front of dominance over the war. The rapid loss of territory and critical infrastructure, such as Aleppo International Airport, raises concerns about the regime’s ability to maintain control in other contested areas.
HTS’s capability to organize and carry out such a huge scale of operation and thus highlights the ongoing uncertainty in Syria’s civil war, despite the half dozen years of relative territorial control of the Syrian army.
Humanitarian Concerns and Future Implications
The insurgent drive occurs at a time of heightened humanitarian issues in the region. As the government recedes and insurgent groups consolidate, the safety of civilians in Aleppo and Hama is increasingly threatened. Aid organizations have raised alarms about the potential for renewed displacement and violence in areas that were already struggling with the aftermath of a decade-long conflict.
These developments, moreover, point to a possible change in the course of the Syrian civil war. The insurgents’ successes have the potential to provoke opposition proxies throughout the country and deepen ongoing international efforts to bring about stability in the area.
With the spread of the conflict, everyone is watching Aleppo and Hama, where the future battles might alter the balance of power in Syria’s protracted conflict.
