Battle for Aleppo Why the Syrian conflict is flaring up again right now

After years of stalemate, fierce fighting is suddenly flaring up again in Syria. There are various reasons for this.

Keystone-SDA

02.12.2024, 04:30

02.12.2024, 06:47

SDA

Fighting has flared up again in Syria after several years. A rebel alliance captured almost the entire city of Aleppo in the north of the civil war-torn country within a few hours. The advance apparently came as a surprise even to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Experts speak of a decisive event in the war that has been raging for almost 14 years.

blue News provides you with an overview of what you need to know about the Syrian conflict.

The fighters are a rebel alliance under the leadership of the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). It is considered the controlling force in north-western Syria, where most of the insurgents and rebel groups were pushed back during the Syrian civil war.

HTS emerged from the Nusra Front, which was considered an offshoot of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Although HTS officially announced its break with al-Qaeda years ago, the group still follows the jihadist ideology.

The USA lists HTS as a terrorist organization. Experts believe that several tens of thousands of fighters belong to the rebels.

There are several factors that have led to the lightning offensive taking place right now. The most important factor is probably the regional weakening of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's allies: Russia and Iran are Syria's main supporters and helped Assad to push back the rebels a few years ago.

IranRussia flies attacks on rebel positions in Syria

But both countries are currently tied up in other conflicts and thus weakened: Russia is fighting in Ukraine, and Iran is militarily weakened by Hezbollah's conflict with Israel in Lebanon.

In addition, the rebels have apparently been preparing for an attack for a long time. They used heavy weapons and in some cases drones in order to be able to advance quickly.

In 2011, Syria's President Assad brutally crushed demonstrations in the course of the so-called Arab Spring. The protests quickly developed into mass protests and ultimately a conflict and proxy war with international involvement. Syria is supported by Russia and Iran. Pro-Iranian militias such as Hezbollah support the Syrian government.

There are various rebel groups, one of the strongest being the Islamist HTS. In addition, Kurdish forces, which are supported by the USA, control a large part of northern Syria, including along the border with Turkey.

Turkey is occupying border areas in northern Syria as a result of several military operations and is cooperating with rebel groups. Israel has also repeatedly carried out airstrikes in Syria, including against Lebanese Hezbollah fighters. This also further contributed to weakening the Syrian government.

Aleppo is the second largest city in Syria and the largest metropolis in the north of the country. It has long been the economic center of Syria and is an important hub. It also has a symbolic character. Rebels controlled Aleppo for a long time.

In December 2016, the Syrian government was able to recapture the city with the help of Russia. Large parts of Aleppo were destroyed and the opposition left Aleppo for the province of Idlib.

The recapture of Aleppo in 2016 is considered a decisive turning point in the Syrian civil war, in which government forces have since regained control of around two thirds of the country.

The current rebel offensive could also mark another turning point. The insurgents have shown that they are still capable of achieving military successes despite years of setbacks.

The offensive also highlights the current weakness of the government and its allies. The decisive factor will be whether the rebels can hold the city and how Iran and Russia support Syria.