Syria Launches Counterattacks To Halt Insurgents Who Captured Aleppo | rssama.com

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian subject rushed reinforcements to nan northwest and launched airstrikes Sunday successful an effort to push backmost insurgents who seized nan country’s largest metropolis of Aleppo, arsenic Iran pledged to thief nan authorities antagonistic nan astonishment offensive.

Iran has been a cardinal governmental and subject state of Syrian President Bashar Assad successful his country’s civilian war, but it was unclear really Tehran would support Damascus successful nan latest flareup. Insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a two-pronged attack connected Aleppo and nan countryside astir Idlib connected Wednesday, earlier moving toward neighboring Hama province.

On Sunday, authorities troops created a “strong protect line” successful bluish Hama, arsenic they attempted to stall nan insurgents’ momentum, according to Britain-based guidance warfare show nan Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Meanwhile, jets pounded nan cities of Idlib and Aleppo, sidesplitting astatine slightest 25 people, according to nan Syrian civilian defense group that operates successful opposition-held areas.

The surge successful fighting has raised nan imaginable of different violent, destabilizing beforehand reopening successful nan Middle East astatine a clip erstwhile Israel is fighting Hamas successful Gaza and Hezbollah successful Lebanon, conflicts that person many times threatened to ignite an moreover wider location war. It besides risks drafting Russia and Turkey — each pinch its ain interests to protect successful Syria — into nonstop dense fighting against each other.

The insurgents announced their violative Wednesday, conscionable arsenic a ceasefire started betwixt Hezbollah and Israel that raised immoderate dream tensions successful nan region mightiness beryllium calming.

The surprise offensive is simply a immense embarrassment for Assad, and it comes astatine a clip erstwhile his friends — Iran and groups it backs and Russia — are preoccupied pinch their ain conflicts.

According to a connection from Assad’s office, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reassured nan Syrian leader during a sojourn to Damascus that Tehran was fresh to support nan authorities successful their counteroffensive.

Arab leaders, including Jordan’s King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, person besides called Assad to definitive their solidarity.

Late Sunday, aggregate Western governments jointly urged a de-escalation by each parties and protection of civilians and infrastructure “to forestall further displacement and disruption of humanitarian access.” The connection by nan U.S., U.K., French and German governments said they were watching nan business intimately and that nan escalation underscored nan urgent request for a governmental solution.

Opposition troops advance

The insurgents took complete astir of Aleppo connected Saturday and made gains successful nan surrounding province. They besides seized nan main h2o pumping position for metropolis and it is nary longer working, Syrian Minister of Water Resources Moataz Qattan told nan pro-government power position Sham FM.

Elsewhere, rebel commandant Col. Hassan Abdulghani said nan insurgents precocious successful nan countryside astir Idlib, putting each of nan state of nan aforesaid sanction nether their control.

They besides claimed to person entered nan metropolis of Hama, but location was nary independent confirmation of that.

In Khan Sheikhoun successful Idlib province, subject vehicles abandoned by Syrian troops dotted nan roads. People posed and took pictures of themselves atop 1 abandoned vessel connected a highway, while nan insurgents grabbed munitions and shells from them earlier continuing their push deeper into Syria.

The insurgents vowed to push each nan measurement into Damascus, but life successful nan Syrian superior remained normal pinch nary signs of panic. In southeastern Aleppo, however, nan main roadworthy retired of nan metropolis was gridlocked arsenic group fled nan fighting, and state stations successful nan area were short connected fuel.

The rebels besides made it into Tel Rifaat, a municipality adjacent Aleppo held by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, according to pro-government pan-Arab Al Mayadeen TV.

Tel Rifaat is acold from nan ample swaths of northeastern Syria that are controlled by nan Kurdish troops, known arsenic nan Syrian Democratic Forces. A connection from nan insurgency called connected nan SDF to time off nan areas adjacent Aleppo that they clasp and retreat to their bastions successful nan northeast.

Despite being astatine likelihood politically pinch nan Syrian government, nan Kurdish-led management has opposed nan insurgency and accused Turkey, nan main backer of Syrian guidance groups, of trying to displace nan Kurdish population.

Turkish officials person said a constricted violative by nan rebels was planned to extremity authorities attacks connected opposition-held areas successful caller weeks, but it expanded arsenic authorities forces began to retreat.

The United Nations typical envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said nan push by nan rebels poses a consequence to location information and called connected resuming negotiated efforts to extremity nan conflict.

U.S. nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of nan Union” that nan U.S. is watching nan business carefully. There are astir 900 American troops successful Syria’s northeast — acold from wherever nan insurgency is happening — who are meant to defender against a resurgence by nan extremist Islamic State group.

The group starring nan rebel beforehand is designated a violent statement by nan U.S., and Sullivan said Washington has “real concerns astir nan designs and objectives of that organization.”

“At nan aforesaid time, of course, we don’t outcry complete nan truth that nan Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing definite kinds of pressure,” he added.

Syrian troops fortify bluish Hama arsenic jets lb Idlib and Aleppo

According to Syrian authorities news agency SANA and nan Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nan service overnight pushed backmost insurgents successful nan bluish countryside of Hama province.

Syrian authorities media said authorities resupply included dense instrumentality and rocket launchers while Syrian and Russian airstrikes targeted limb depots and insurgent strongholds. Sham FM said nan Syrian service changeable down drones belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham successful bluish Hama.

Syrian authorities tv claimed authorities forces had killed astir 1,000 insurgents complete nan past 3 days, without providing grounds aliases details.

Government airstrikes successful Idlib and Aleppo killed astatine slightest 25 people, of which 14 are women and children, according to nan Syrian Civil Defense, besides known arsenic nan White Helmets, that operates successful opposition-held areas.

Residents could beryllium seen fleeing done ash-covered streets. Men lowered a kid from nan precocious level of a building whose destruction was blown off.

Airstrikes besides struck successful and astir Aleppo, including adjacent a infirmary successful nan metropolis center, sidesplitting 12 people, including astatine slightest 8 civilians, according to nan White Helmets and nan Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The 2016 conflict for Aleppo was a turning constituent successful nan warfare betwixt Syrian authorities forces and rebel fighters aft 2011 protests against Assad’s norm turned into an all-out war. After appearing to beryllium losing power of nan state to nan rebels, nan Aleppo conflict secured Assad’s clasp connected strategical areas of Syria, pinch guidance factions and their overseas backers controlling areas connected nan periphery.