Russia steps up strikes on Syrian rebels after development

Russia, which is allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has launched a series of strikes in several areas of Syria where opposition forces have recently gained ground, a war monitor reported on Sunday.

Russian strikes early Sunday targeted towns and villages seized by the Islamist-led coalition in the northwestern province of Idlib and the central province of Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Similar strikes were reported in the northern city of Aleppo, which was attacked by opposition forces earlier this week in an attack by al-Assad’s forces.

“The Russians have not stopped bombing in all directions since last night,” said Observatory head Rami Abdel-Rahman.

He told dpa that the rebels are now in control of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, apart from some Kurdish-controlled areas in the northwestern suburbs.

A coalition of rebel groups led by the Islamic terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) carried out a major offensive in northwestern Syria on Wednesday, marking a major escalation in the country’s civil war, which began in 2011 and has recently escalated. stable front lines.

HTS is considered one of the most powerful armed forces in northwestern Syria.

The attack by opposition groups is considered the heaviest by rebels in Aleppo since 2016 when they were pushed out of the eastern parts of the city.

On Saturday, the Syrian army said a number of insurgents were involved in various attacks, prompting government forces to disperse again to prepare for an attack.

The war has displaced thousands of local residents, activists say.

With the help of his allies Russia and Iran, al-Assad has managed to recapture nearly two-thirds of the country from the rebels over the years.