Rebels Capture Aleppo, Syria’s Second Largest City, for the First Time in Eight Years
The Assad Regime Faces a Crisis as Government Forces Retreat Without Resistance
Syrian President Assad Vows to Fight Terrorism
On November 30 (local time), rebel supporters stood atop a Syrian government tank, cheering as the rebels seized control of Aleppo in northwestern Syria. With the Syrian rebels successfully capturing Aleppo, the second-largest city, for the first time in eight years, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s long-standing regime faces a significant crisis. Analysts suggest that the rebels took advantage of the situation where it became difficult for the Syrian government to receive assistance from Iran and Russia, due to their prolonged involvement in other conflicts.
According to Reuters and other sources, Syrian rebels managed to gain control over most of Aleppo by November 30, just three days after launching a surprise offensive on November 27. The attack has reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 300 people, including 20 civilians. The death toll rose significantly following Russian airstrikes targeting the rebels.
With Aleppo under rebel control, Assad’s statues and banners have been removed throughout the city, and Syrian opposition flags have been raised. There are ongoing evacuations as terrified residents flee the region. Rebels have imposed a 24-hour curfew starting at 5 PM, prohibiting residents from leaving their homes. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that rebels have seized government institutions, prisons, and the international airport. They continue to advance, capturing dozens of villages in the neighboring Hama region.
The Syrian civil war began in 2011 when Assad’s government violently suppressed ‘Arab Spring’ protests, resulting in 500,000 deaths and millions of refugees. The recent offensive by Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was reportedly supported by forces backed by Turkey. HTS, originally an offshoot of al-Qaeda’s ‘Al Nusra Front,’ has since disassociated from the organization, maintaining significant influence in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province since the civil war.
The Syrian government forces reportedly withdrew without resisting the rebel assault. The Syrian government has since indicated plans to withdraw from Aleppo and launch a counter-offensive in the future. President Assad stated in a speech that Syria will defend its stability and territorial integrity against all terrorists and their supporters and expressed confidence that, with the help of allies, they can overcome and eliminate even the most intense terrorist attacks. However, the prolonged wars in Gaza and Ukraine make it challenging for Syria to receive further support from allies Iran and Russia, which may intensify the civil war in Syria.
The New York Times described the latest offensive as the most serious challenge to Assad’s rule and one of the fiercest attacks in recent years in Syria. Andrew Tabler, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal the situation represents a seismic shift, pointing out that the concurrent conflicts in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, and Lebanon, have impacted Aleppo amidst long-standing international involvement in the region.