Syrian rebels are taking control of much of Aleppo, observers say

Rebels in Syria have seized control of the “majority” of the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo, according to the British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Russia launched airstrikes on parts of Aleppo on Saturday night for the first time since 2016, the observers added.

According to SOHR, more than 300 people – including more than 20 civilians – have been killed since the offensive began on Wednesday.

The offensive is the largest against the Syrian government in years and the first time rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have reached Aleppo since they were ousted by the army in 2016.

Aleppo airport and all roads leading into the city were closed, military sources told Reuters.

The rebels had managed to conquer “most of the city” without encountering any significant resistance, the SOHR said early on Saturday.

There was “no fighting” when Syrian regime troops withdrew, a spokesman told the BBC.

“The city council, police stations, secret service offices – they are empty.

“This has never happened before.”

On Friday, government forces said they had recaptured positions in several cities in Aleppo and Idlib provinces after HTS and allied factions launched an offensive on Wednesday.

A video posted on a channel linked to the militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) appears to show rebel fighters in vehicles inside the city.

BBC Verify geolocated the footage in a western suburb of Aleppo.

AFP said one of its reporters saw “anti-government fighters” outside the citadel, the city’s landmark, on Friday.

More than half a million people have been killed in the civil war that erupted after the government cracked down on democracy protests in 2011.

A number of armed groups opposed to the Assad government – including jihadists – took advantage of the unrest to seize vast areas.

The Syrian government later recaptured most of the lost territory, with help from Russia and other allies.

Idlib, the last remaining opposition stronghold, is largely controlled by HTS, but Turkish-backed rebel groups and Turkish forces are also based there.

According to SOHR, Syrian and Russian aircraft carried out 23 airstrikes near Idlib on Friday.

The Britain-based monitoring group, which uses a network of sources on the ground in Syria, said four civilians were killed and 19 others injured in the Russian strikes.

According to Russian news agencies, the Russian military said it bombed “extremist forces.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed support for “the Syrian government to quickly restore order” and said the country’s sovereignty had been attacked.

On Friday, a statement published on a channel linked to the rebels said: “Our forces have begun to enter the city of Aleppo.”

Videos confirmed by the BBC show gunmen walking along a road about seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from Aleppo’s medieval citadel in the center of the city.

Another clip confirmed by the BBC showed large groups of people with luggage leaving an area near Aleppo University. This video was taken three kilometers from a location where HTS-affiliated media claims rebel forces have entered the city.

Sarmad, who lives in Aleppo, told AFP he could “hear the sounds of rockets and artillery fire 24 hours a day.”

“We are afraid that a war will break out and we will be driven from our homeland again,” said the 51-year-old.

The United Nations deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, David Carden, said he was deeply concerned about the impact of escalating hostilities on civilians.

“The relentless attacks over the last three days have left at least 27 civilians dead, including children as young as eight,” he said.

Fighting in Idlib had largely subsided since 2020 when Turkey and Russia, Syria’s main ally, negotiated a ceasefire to stop a government push to retake the province.

But on Wednesday, HTS and its allies said they had launched their offensive to “deter aggression” and accused the government and allied militias of an escalation in the region.

Analysts say one reason they moved so quickly is that Syria’s allies Iran and Hezbollah have been weakened by Israeli attacks in the region.

Additional reporting by Lina Sinjab in Beirut and Richard Irvine-Brown, Merlyn Thomas and Sofia Ferreira Santos and Paul Brown in London.