Lightning offensive in Aleppo: Jihadists take control!

Lightning offensive in Aleppo: Jihadists take control!

A dramatic turning point in the civil war in Syria, which has been going on for over a decade: The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) surprisingly recaptured control over large parts of the competitive city of Aleppo. The rebel alliance started a comprehensive offensive on Wednesday, which was accompanied by a lightning campaign to take strategically important locations, including government buildings and prisons. Experts describe the situation as an "absolute collapse" for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, whose army now had to withdraw from the airport and thus gave up one of the last bastions of control, as The Krone reported.

initial escalation for years

This offensive has been the most difficult aggression of HTS since 2016. A report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) saw the jihadists on the rise without making any significant resistance. According to reports, Kurdish forces pulled control at Aleppo Airport, while Russian fighter planes tried to stop the rebel advance. Eyewitnesses reported violent battles and explosions in the city, which further exacerbated the tense situation than to escape as civilians in rural areas in order to escape violence, so NZZ .

as a result of these military developments, over 300 people have already been killed, including civilians. The offensive could have serious consequences for the strategic situation in the region, especially if Aleppo falls permanently into the hands of the insurgents. Experts suspect that the offensive has been planned by the rebels for months and that military support from Russia, which is essential for the Syrian army, could now be particularly important to regain control of the city.