Bloody fight for Aleppo: rebels conquer the city and challenge Assad!

Bloody fight for Aleppo: rebels conquer the city and challenge Assad!

Aleppo, Syrien - In the Syrian city of Aleppo, the situation has tightened dramatically: Islamist rebels under the leadership of the Haiat Tahrir al-Scham (HTS) took control of large parts of the city on a lightning offensive. As the Krone , this has been the most violent phase of the civil war, and the Syrian government troops under President Bashar al-Assad had to withdraw in view of this offensive. The rebels that advance with heavy weapons and drones take advantage of the current weakness of the Assad government and its main supporters Russia and Iran, which are weakened due to other military engagements in Ukraine and Lebanon.

The reports about the current attacks are alarming: According to the Syrian observation center for human rights, over 400 people have already died in the fights. The offensive has led to a large number of Kurds and civilians to be evacuated to protect them from fighting. As Watson , around 200,000 Syrian Kurds are besieged, while the Kurdish military leadership is coordinated, to ensure the security of their civilian population.

The military situation

The HTS that emerged from the Nusra front that emerged during the civil war has developed into the main force in northwestern Syria. Rumors about the support from "thousands of foreign terrorists" underline that the rebels act not only locally but also internationally. In a strategic withdrawal, Assad already announced a counter -offensive, supported by his remaining allies. However, experts warn against another escalation: "This will now cost a lot of human life again," said the Middle East expert Daniel Gerlach.

The situation remains tense and it remains to be seen how the international community and in particular Russia and Iran will react to the recent developments. Moscow's decision to carry out air strikes on Aleppo for the first time since 2016 could be crucial to enable Assad to recapture. But the military balance seems fragile, and the rebels have impressively showed that despite the challenges they are able to achieve significant success.