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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad moved to rally support from his allies on Sunday, following reports from a monitoring group that a surprise rebel offensive had resulted in government forces losing control of Aleppo for the first time since the conflict erupted.
Wednesday saw an attack on Syrian government forces by an Islamist-led rebel coalition, coinciding with the activation of a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, who is backed by Iran.
The timing, following two months of brutal warfare, highlights the deep-seated tensions in the region and the challenges of securing lasting peace amid ongoing hostilities.
Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, along with allied groups, now dominates Aleppo city, with the sole exception of areas controlled by Kurdish forces. The shift in control of this strategic city highlights the continued fragmentation of power in the Syrian conflict.
“For the first time since the civil war started more than a decade ago, the country’s second city “is out of control of Syrian regime forces”, he said.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, visited Damascus on Sunday for high-level talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Ahead of his visit, Araghchi told Iranian state media that Tehran would offer “firm support” to the Syrian government and military, underscoring the enduring alliance between the two nations.
After the talks, Assad emphasised “the importance of the support of allies and friends in confronting foreign-backed terrorist attacks”.
Araghchi landed late Sunday in Ankara, where he was expected to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday before talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Syrian and Russian aircraft had staged deadly strikes in support of government forces earlier Sunday, according to the Observatory.
It said strikes killed at least 12 people in Aleppo and nine civilians in the rebel bastion of Idlib.
Russia’s military confirmed it was helping Syrian government forces “repel terrorist aggression in the provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo”.
The Russian and Syrian warplanes had targeted “a gathering of terrorist organisation commanders and large groups of their members” in Aleppo province, killing “dozens”, according to a military statement carried by Syrian state news agency SANA.
Read also: Syrian Rebels Pour Into Aleppo, Tensions Worsen For Assad Regime
It also said warplanes destroyed a large vehicle convoy carrying “terrorist” ammunition and equipment in Idlib.
In the province on Sunday, bodies lay in a hospital and vehicles were torched in the street, AFP images showed.
Umm Mohamed, a grieving resident, spoke of the devastating impact of the strikes in her area, which took the life of her daughter-in-law. The attack left five children orphaned, including a small, wounded girl who now faces a future marked by both physical and emotional scars.
“Thank God their injuries were minor,” she told AFP from hospital.
Aleppo’s legendary citadel, a symbol of the city’s enduring history, stood as a backdrop to the Syrian army’s 2016 offensive to reclaim rebel-held territories. Supported by Russian airstrikes, Syrian forces managed to wrest back control, altering the balance of power in the region as the city’s fate was decided by military might.
To regain control of areas seized by rebels in the war’s early years, Damascus relied heavily on Hezbollah fighters. This alliance became crucial after the Syrian government’s violent crackdown on protests in 2011 ignited the conflict.
However, Hezbollah’s role in Syria has been overshadowed by the severe losses the group has suffered in its escalating conflict with Israel, leaving it with fewer resources to support Assad’s forces.