Politics Rebels in Syria reach Aleppo, according to activists

According to activists, rebels in north-western Syria have reached the megacity of Aleppo in their new offensive. This was reported by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, among others.

Residents told the German Press Agency that the sound of fighting and explosions could be heard in the city.

The Islamist rebel group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham announced that its fighters were engaged in heavy fighting with government troops in the western suburbs of Aleppo. The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced that the armed forces were facing massive attacks in the areas surrounding the cities of Aleppo and Idlib.

Fiercest fighting since 2016

This is the heaviest fighting in the area for years. Aleppo was heavily contested in the early years of the Syrian civil war and was badly devastated at the time.

The fighting began on Wednesday after an alliance of Islamist rebels launched an offensive dubbed "deterring aggression".

Russian military supports Syrian army

In response to the offensive, the Syrian army has since attacked dozens of targets in Idlib and around Aleppo with the support of Russian fighter jets, according to activists from the Observatory. The Coventry-based organization bases its information on information from activists on the ground.

The devastating civil war in Syria since 2011 has completely divided the country. Ruler Bashar Al-Assad came under heavy pressure at times, but now controls around two thirds of the country again with the help of his allies Russia and Iran. The north-west is partly under the control of opposition forces. A political solution to the conflict is not in sight.

SDA