Syria Activists: airstrikes on Aleppo for the first time since 2016
In order to prevent the advance of rebels in Aleppo, Russian fighter jets attacked targets in the Syrian city of millions for the first time since 2016, according to activists. Syria's ally Russia attacked a district in the west of the city, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
30.11.2024, 09:27
SDA
The rebels have now taken control of large parts of Aleppo. They now also control government buildings and prisons there, the Observatory reported. The UK-based organization obtains its information from a network of informants on the ground.
According to the report, government troops have withdrawn to a suburb of the city. The governor and police personnel have also left the city center, according to the report.
An alliance of insurgents led by the Islamist organization Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had made surprisingly large territorial gains during an offensive in the northwest of the country this week. Before entering Aleppo, the rebels had already taken control of dozens of towns in the Idlib area and west of Aleppo.
According to the activists, 301 people have been killed in the fighting so far. These include 28 civilians.
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015 and, with its superior air force, helped President Bashar al-Assad to consolidate his shaky hold on power. His government now controls two thirds of the country again. However, Moscow reduced its troop presence in Syria from 2022 due to the war in Ukraine. A political solution to the conflict is not in sight.
