More Russian strikes as Syrian rebels advance after taking Aleppo

Russia carried out “a sequence of air strikes” in Syria on Sunday as rebels superior after seizing Aleppo, in keeping with the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Twelve individuals had been killed in a strike on a hospital in Aleppo, whereas a strike contained in the north-western metropolis of Idlib killed eight civilians and wounded greater than 50, SOHR mentioned.

Warplanes additionally struck rural components of Idlib and Hama the place the group main the insurgent offensive “has lately taken management”, it added.

The Syrian authorities has in the meantime misplaced management of Aleppo for the primary time for the reason that nation’s civil struggle started, the observers advised information company AFP.

The shock offensive by opposition forces, which started on Wednesday, marks essentially the most vital combating in Syria’s civil struggle in recent times.

It has been led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), in addition to allied factions backed by Turkey.

Greater than 300 individuals, together with at the very least 20 civilians, have been killed to this point, in keeping with SOHR.

Russian strikes hit Aleppo for the primary time since 2016 on Saturday as insurgent fighters swept into Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest metropolis, the observers mentioned.

The Russian air pressure performed a big function in preserving President Bashar al-Assad in energy throughout the peak of the civil struggle.

SOHR reported 5 Russian air strikes in a refugee camp in Idlib early on Sunday, a north-western metropolis through which HTS is the dominant pressure.

SOHR later reported 4 strikes on Aleppo College Hospital, with eight civilians among the many 12 lifeless, with different components of town additionally focused.

Opposition fighters seized almost the entire metropolis from the federal government on Sunday, SOHR advised AFP – aside from the neighbourhoods managed by Kurdish forces.

Syria’s navy withdrew from town to arrange a counteroffensive.

In the meantime, the rebels pushed south from Aleppo into a number of cities within the countryside close to Syria’s fourth largest metropolis, Hama, in keeping with SOHR.

Syria’s defence ministry mentioned the pressure had “bolstered [its] defensive strains” within the area with troops, rocket launchers and heavy navy {hardware}.

“Joint Syrian-Russian warplanes” have intensified exact strikes on insurgent positions, killing and wounding dozens, it mentioned in a press release.

It added its troops had recaptured a number of cities that had been seized and prevented rebels from advancing, and claimed they had been fleeing the area.

The scenario poses “extreme dangers to civilians and [has] critical implications for worldwide peace and safety”, the United Nations (UN) particular envoy for Syria warned.

Geir O Pederson mentioned he had repeatedly warned of the hazards of “mere battle administration fairly than battle decision” in Syria.

He referred to as the current battle a “mark of collective failure” to work in direction of a ceasefire within the nation, an goal the UN Safety Council endorsed in 2015, demanding “pressing and critical political engagement” to this finish.

Talking on Saturday, President Assad vowed to “defend [Syria’s] stability and territorial integrity within the face of all terrorists and their backers”.

“[The country] is succesful, with the assistance of its allies and associates, of defeating and eliminating them, regardless of how intense their terrorist assaults are,” his workplace quoted him as saying.

Iran’s high diplomat mentioned the nation, which has lengthy been an ally of President Assad, “firmly help[s] the Syrian authorities and military”.

Overseas minister Abbas Aragchi issued the assertion forward visiting Damascus on Sunday to debate the offensive.

The civil struggle, which has left round half one million individuals lifeless, started in 2011 after the Assad authorities responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown.

The battle has been largely dormant since a ceasefire agreed in 2020, however opposition forces have maintained management of the north-western metropolis of Idlib and far of the encompassing province.

Idlib sits simply 55km (34 miles) from Aleppo, which itself was a insurgent stronghold till it fell to authorities forces in 2016.

HTS, which has led the most recent offensive, was considered some of the efficient and lethal of the teams combating the Assad authorities and was already the dominant pressure in Idlib.

The rebels took management of Aleppo’s airport and dozens of close by cities, in keeping with SOHR.

In addition they introduced an in a single day curfew which got here into pressure at 17:00 native time on Saturday (14:00 GMT).

SOHR additionally mentioned the insurgent fighters had superior south towards Hama and that the Syrian military had withdrawn.

However a navy supply quoted in Syrian state media on Saturday evening disputed this declare.

The Syrian military mentioned rebels had launched “a broad assault from a number of axes on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts” and that battles had taken place “over a strip exceeding 100km (60 miles)”.

Dozens of its troopers have been killed, it mentioned.

A US spokesperson mentioned Syria’s “reliance on Russia and Iran”, together with its refusal to maneuver ahead with a 2015 UN Safety Council peace plan, had “created the circumstances now unfolding” within the nation.

Footage confirmed the roads main out of Aleppo jammed with vehicles on Saturday as individuals tried to go away, and smoke rising out of town’s skyline.