The government in Damascus and its allies Russia and Iran reportedly suffered a significant setback when Syria’s radical Al-Qaeda linked insurgents claimed a stunning advance into Aleppo, a major symbolic and strategic prize.
Two days after launching a stunning strike from the rebel-held northwest of the country, the Islamist-led insurgents surged into Aleppo.
This occurred eight years after the city was captured by forces loyal to the government of Bashar al-Assad at the conclusion of a protracted siege.
The recent insurgent assault represents the most substantial shift in the balance of power in Syria in years, a conflict that has attracted the attention of the United States, Turkey, Israel, and a variety of other external powers.
In 2011, Assad narrowly escaped an armed insurrection that was incited by a popular revolution.
He effectively suppressed the uprising by employing bombardment, chemical weapons, and mass arrests of opponents, with the assistance of Russian air power and military support from Iran and its allies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.
The opposition claimed portions of the city in 2012, and Aleppo became a symbol of the rebellion following demonstrations that occurred there in 2011.
After a protracted siege and a campaign of bombardment by Russian and Syrian government aircraft, the rebel-held section of the city was taken by the government in 2016.
Despite maintaining control of Damascus, Assad was compelled to relinquish significant portions of the country to rebels in the northwest and to U.S.-allied Kurdish-led militias, which now dominate much of northeast Syria as a result of a U.S.-backed campaign against Islamic State extremists.
The offensive coincides with an uptick in the pressure exerted on Assad’s allies. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has resulted in the deployment of significant military resources, while the Israeli military offensive in Lebanon and Syria has caused significant setbacks for Iran and its allied militias.
Earlier this week, Israel consented to a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon.
It is also announced on the eve of the second administration of President-elect Trump, who had previously implemented a policy of extreme pressure on Iran and conducted airstrikes against Syrian government military assets.
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