Insurgents break into Syria's biggest city in a surprise attack, marking their first entry since 2016.

On Friday, insurgents launched a surprise attack on Aleppo, breaching the city for the first time since 2016 and engaging in clashes with government forces. The war monitor and fighters on the ground reported the unexpected attack, which sent residents fleeing and heightened the uncertainty in a region already ravaged by multiple wars.

The assault on Aleppo came just days after insurgents launched a separate offensive in Syria's northwestern countryside, sweeping through villages and towns with thousands of fighters. Witnesses in Aleppo reported missiles and gunfire in the city's edge, causing residents to flee their neighborhoods.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group monitoring the ongoing civil war, reported that both sides suffered dozens of casualties in the fighting. This attack added to the violence in a region that is already dealing with the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, which began in 2011.

Since being driven out of eastern neighborhoods in 2016, opposition forces had not attempted to attack Aleppo. However, this time there was no significant pushback from government forces or their allies. Reports emerged of government forces retreating and insurgents urging troops to surrender via social media.

Robert Ford, the last US ambassador to Syria, commented on the attack, stating that it showcased the weakness of the Syrian government forces. He noted that in some cases, they appeared to have been nearly defeated. This offensive was one of the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, and the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020.

The timing of this attack was significant, as Iran-linked groups, primarily Hezbollah, have been preoccupied with their own conflicts at home. A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel went into effect on the same day as the insurgents' offensive. In the last 70 days, Israel has also increased its attacks on Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria.

According to Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group, the insurgents had been signaling their readiness for an offensive for some time. However, the speed with which they advanced towards Aleppo caught many by surprise. She noted that the regime, along with its allies, is currently facing distractions and challenges in other areas, making them vulnerable to an attack.

The offensive towards Aleppo followed weeks of low-level violence, including government attacks on opposition-held areas. Turkey, which supports Syrian opposition groups, had tried to prevent these attacks through diplomatic efforts, but they were unsuccessful. Turkish security officials revealed that the initial goal of the offensive was to establish the boundaries of the de-escalation zone, as agreed upon by Russia, Turkey, and Iran in 2019. However, as Syrian government forces retreated, the offensive expanded.

The battle for Aleppo in 2016 was a turning point in the civil war, with Russian and Iranian-backed Syrian forces reclaiming control of the city after a long and grueling campaign. Turkey also has a military presence in Syria, where they have sent troops to areas in the northwest. The United States also supports Syrian Kurdish forces in the eastern part of the country as they fight against Islamic State militants.

The Syrian government did not comment on the insurgents breaching Aleppo's city limits, but the Kremlin considered it a violation of Syria's sovereignty. They called for the establishment of constitutional order in the region as quickly as possible. The Syrian armed forces released a statement, vowing to repel the attack and accusing the insurgents of spreading false information. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the insurgents had detonated two car bombs and seized control of a strategic town south of Aleppo.

As the fighting continues, the death toll rises, and civilians are caught in the crossfire. The conflict in Syria shows no signs of slowing down, and the involvement of various foreign powers only adds to the complexity of the situation. It is a devastating and heartbreaking reality for the people of Syria who are caught in the middle of this ongoing war.

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