December 1st 2024.
In response to recent developments, the Syrian military has taken swift action by sending reinforcements to the northern Hama countryside to push back insurgents. These rebels had taken control of Aleppo and strategic locations in a neighboring province, catching the Syrian government off guard.
Led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the insurgents claimed to have also entered the city of Hama, although there has been no independent confirmation of this. Rebel commander Colonel Hassan Abdulghani reported that they had also seized control of Sheikh Najjar, known as the Aleppo Industrial City, as well as the military academy and field artillery college. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that he would be traveling to Damascus to show support for the Syrian government and army.
This surprise offensive has been a major embarrassment for President Bashar Assad and has raised concerns about the preparedness of his armed forces. It is also a significant development as Assad's allies, Iran and Russia, are currently occupied with their own conflicts.
According to Syrian state television, government forces have already killed almost 1000 insurgents in the past three days. However, no evidence or details have been provided to support this claim. In retaliation, the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, reported that government airstrikes on Idlib city resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to 54 others.
Meanwhile, reports from both the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state-run news network Al-Ikhbariyah revealed that the army had successfully pushed back insurgents in the northern countryside of Hama province. The observatory also noted that government reinforcements had created a strong defensive line in the area. In addition, there were reports of Russian airstrikes in both Idlib and other areas now under rebel control.
In his first public statement since the start of the offensive, Assad assured the public that Syria will continue to defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters. He expressed confidence in the ability of Syrian forces to defeat these enemies, regardless of the intensity of their attacks.
This recent offensive is reminiscent of the 2016 battle for Aleppo, which marked a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters. After years of protests against Assad's rule, the conflict had escalated into a full-scale war. However, the battle for Aleppo cemented Assad's control over strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling only peripheral areas.
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