Syrian rebels ‘take control of Aleppo’ as Bashir al-Assad’s forces collapse almost overnight while leader is out of the country

Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, is no longer under the iron fist of murderous dictator Bashar al-Assad for the first time since the civil war began. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based NGO said that an alliance of rebel groups now ‘control Aleppo city, except the neighbourhoods controlled by the Kurdish forces.’ 

Rami Abdel Rahman, the NGO’s leader, said: ‘For the first time since the conflict started in 2012, Aleppo city is out of control of Syrian regime forces.’

Assad’s whereabouts were unknown as of Saturday night, ahead of a scheduled visit from Iran’s foreign minister today. 

He said in his first comments since the start of the surprise offensive that his regime would defeat the ‘terrorists and their supporters’, adding that the Syrian army was strong enough to beat them no matter the intensity of their attacks. 

He is also reported to have spoken to Iraq’s prime minister Mohammed al-Sudani, who gave him reassurances abut Iraq’s readiness to support Syria in combating the rebels. 

Sudani reportedly stressed his country’s willingness to assist in its fight against the rebellion, amid fears that a coup will take place in the coming days. 

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, today said that his country will ‘firmly support the Syrian government and army.’

Smoke billows in the distance as damaged cars are seen at the site of Syrian regime airstrikes targeting anti-regime fighters in Aleppo, in northern Syria on November 30, 2024

Thousands of Syrian insurgents fanned out inside Aleppo in vehicles with improvised armour and pickups, deploying to landmarks such as the old citadel on Saturday, a day after they entered Syria’s largest city facing little resistance from government troops.

Syria’s armed forces said in a statement Saturday that to absorb the large attack on Aleppo and save lives, it has redeployed and is preparing for a counterattack. 

They were supported by Damascus-ally Moscow, which responded with its first air strikes on Aleppo since 2016 as the jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies pressed a lightning offensive they launched on Wednesday. 

The jihadist-led rebels seized Aleppo airport and dozens of nearby towns on Saturday after overrunning most of Aleppo, a war monitor said.

Rebels are currently marching on Damascus, Syria’s capital city, where small skirmishes have been reported. 

The US said last night that Assad’s loss of control over much of his nation is because of his reliance on Russia and Iran.  

Syria’s ‘reliance on Russia and Iran,’ along with its refusal to move forward with a 2015 peace process outlined by the UN Security Council, ‘created the conditions now unfolding,’ National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.

He added: ‘At the same time, the United States has nothing to do with this offensive, which is led by Hay’at Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organization.’

More to follow.