Syria’s military has announced a “temporary troop withdrawal” from the northwestern city of Aleppo following a surprise offensive by rebel groups, marking the first such attack on government-held positions in years.
The military reported that dozens of soldiers had been killed or wounded in recent clashes with “armed terrorist organisations” in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates, prompting a regrouping and redeployment of troops to reinforce defensive positions in preparation for a counteroffensive.
The military stated that the rebel groups launched a broad attack from multiple axes on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts, with fighting spanning over 100 km (60 miles). Despite the rebels entering large parts of Aleppo, the Syrian army’s bombardment reportedly prevented them from securing fixed positions. The army vowed to expel the rebels and restore state control over the entire city and its surrounding areas.
This is the first public acknowledgment by the Syrian military that opposition forces, led by the Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, have entered several neighborhoods in Aleppo during their surprise attack earlier this week. Since the city was retaken by government forces with Russian and Iranian support eight years ago, it had been under full state control.
The ongoing rebel assault on Aleppo represents the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020. This escalated conflict follows a deal between Russia and Turkey that was meant to de-escalate tensions after government forces regained areas previously held by opposition groups.
Turkey has supported various opposition factions in the region, establishing a military presence in parts of northwestern Syria, while the U.S. has supported Kurdish forces in the east, primarily in their fight against ISIS.
In response to the recent escalation, Syrian authorities have closed Aleppo airport and canceled all flights, as confirmed by multiple military sources.
