Syrian authorities have shut down Aleppo airport and cancelled all flights following a rebel incursion into the city, military sources informed Reuters on Saturday. The offensive, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, marks the first time opposition fighters have reached Aleppo’s centre since their defeat nearly a decade ago.
The rebels launched their surprise attack on Wednesday, sweeping through government-held towns and advancing into Aleppo by late Friday, according to an operations room coordinating the offensive.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander with the Jaish al-Izza brigade, credited their rapid progress to a lack of Iran-backed forces in the region, which have been weakened by Israeli strikes amid the broader Middle East tensions triggered by the Gaza conflict.
Turkey is reported to have given tacit approval for the offensive, according to opposition sources linked to Turkish intelligence. However, Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli stated that Ankara prioritises regional stability and cautioned that recent attacks threaten existing de-escalation agreements.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has pledged additional military support to Damascus to counter the offensive. “New military hardware will arrive within 72 hours,” two military sources told Reuters. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the attack, describing it as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and calling for a swift restoration of constitutional order.
The latest violence represents the most significant escalation since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey brokered a deal to reduce hostilities. Syrian state television denied reports of rebels entering Aleppo, claiming that Russian airstrikes had supported government forces in inflicting heavy losses on the insurgents in Aleppo and Idlib’s countryside.
Civilians suffer amid intensified fighting
The United Nations expressed grave concern over the humanitarian toll of the renewed conflict. David Carden, the UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said, “Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as eight years old.”
State media agency SANA reported that four civilians, including two students, were killed in Aleppo by rebel shelling targeting university dormitories. It remains unclear whether they are among the casualties cited by the UN.
As the fighting intensifies, concerns grow over its potential to further destabilise the region, which has already endured years of war and displacement.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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