Rabat — Members of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham armed group stormed into the northwest city of Aleppo following an intense offensive according to reports.
The offensive forced members of the Syrian army to withdraw after holding control of the city for eight years.
Reports define the offensive as the “most intense fighting seen” in the region since 2020.
The region has been under Syria’s government forces since 2016. This control has been backed by Russia in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
In response to the rebel attacks, Russia’s Ministry of Defense launched strikes in Idlib and Hama in support of al-Assad’s administration.
On Saturday, Syria’s military acknowledged a temporary troop withdrawal in Aleppo and announced that dozens of its soldiers were killed or wounded, describing the rebel group as “armed terrorist organisations.”
Who are the rebels?
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — also known as HTS — has been engaged in the Syrian conflict for years. It was operating under Jabhat al-Nusra in 2011, which is reportedly a direct affiliate of Al Qaeda.
In 2016, Abu Mohammed al Jawlani ended affiliation with Al Qaeda, dissolving Jabhat al Nusra. He then set up the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The Syrian conflict, started in 2011, escalated due to political repression and economic struggles.
The situation has sparked protests across the country and has worsened after the government’s crackdown on demonstrators.
These protests were inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt as part of the Arab Spring.
Syrian pro-democracy activists rallied in the streets, particularly after the detention of 15 boys who were tortured for writing graffiti in support of the Arab Spring.
One of the boys was killed after being brutally tortured.
Al-Assad’s government responded to the protests by killing and imprisoning demonstrators.
