Syrian rebels take control of the city of Aleppo in a flash Syrian War News

Militants of the armed group Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham attacked the city of Aleppo after a lightning attack, forcing the Syrian army to withdraw from the northern city after eight years.

The insurgent attack is the heaviest fighting in northwest Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkey agreed to a deal to end the conflict after government forces seized rebel-held areas.

Government forces have been in control of Aleppo since 2016, almost a year after Russia intervened in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air force carried out strikes on Sunday to support the country’s military, Russian media reported.

Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, has been designated a terrorist group by the United States, Russia, Turkey and other states.

In Washington, the National Security Council at the White House said it is closely monitoring the situation and has been in contact with regional officials in the past 48 hours.

Peaceful protests against al-Assad erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring protests. But the protests soon turned violent and later turned into a proxy war after widespread attacks on the opposition and protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions left homeless since 2011. Many major wars have stopped over the years after Iran and Russia helped al-Assad’s government control most of the country and all the major cities. Rebels are being pushed into Idlib province on the border with Turkey.

After the army said it was preparing for an attack, airstrikes targeted rebel rallies and ships in the city, the pro-Damascus newspaper Al-Watan reported.

The Syrian army command said that the rebels attacked in large numbers and in many ways, which made “our armed forces carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the defense lines to contain the attack, saving the lives of civilians and soldiers”.

The rebels regained control of Aleppo airport, according to a statement from their headquarters and a security source.

The battle is reviving Syria’s long-running conflict as the wider region has been engulfed in hostilities in Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday.