Syrian rebels say they arrived in Aleppo after surprise action against the government

Assad and his allies Russia, Iran and Shiite militias retook Aleppo in late 2016, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of shelling and sieges in a battle that turned the tide against the opposition.

The commander of the rebel Jaish al-Izza brigade, Mustafa Abdul Jaber, said the rapid advance was due to insufficient numbers of Iranian-backed men in the province. Iran’s allies in the region have suffered a series of casualties against Israel as the war in the Gaza Strip has expanded across the Middle East.

Opposition sources in contact with Turkish intelligence said Turkey had given the go-ahead for the offensive. But Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said the country wanted to avoid further instability, warning that the recent attacks had undermined agreements to calm the region.

The attack was the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Türkiye reached an agreement to ease the conflict.

Syria’s state television broadcaster denied that rebels had reached the city, and said Russia was providing air support to the country’s forces.

The Syrian army said it continued to face action and that it had caused heavy losses to insurgents in Aleppo and Idlib.