Terrorists in Syria Begin Massive Attack
As per a high-ranking official, Syrian troops alongside Russian military aircraft have eliminated hundreds of armed insurgents in Aleppo and Idlib.
On Nov. 29, terrorists infiltrated Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, and clashed with government forces on the western outskirts, as reported by a Syria war monitor and fighters.
Witnesses in Aleppo noted residents fleeing neighborhoods due to missiles and gunfire on the city’s edge.
The offensive launched from neighboring Idlib Province is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, labeled a terrorist group by the United States, Russia, and Turkey.
Although Ankara supports several “moderate” anti-Assad groups in Idlib, the Syrian government, along with Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, consider all these groups as “terrorists” and have clashed with them frequently.
For the past five years, these groups have mostly been confined to Idlib, where a “de-escalation zone” was established in 2019 under an agreement involving Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
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Ignasyuk informed Russia’s TASS news agency on Nov. 28, stating, “The Syrian army, supported by Russia’s Aerospace Forces, is heavily engaged in combat. Terrorist units suffered significant losses in troops and equipment in the last 24 hours.”
Moscow has called on Damascus to restore order.
Peskov described the ongoing offensive as an “attack on Syrian sovereignty.”
Since 2015, Russia has maintained a significant military presence in Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government against what the two nations see as “foreign-backed terrorists.”
Reports from witnesses cited by Reuters indicate that the main highway connecting Aleppo city to Damascus remains closed due to the conflict.
In a statement, the Syrian army claimed to have inflicted “heavy losses” on the insurgents with the assistance of Russia and other “friendly forces,” referring to Iran and Hezbollah.
According to the report, the insurgents had also killed Syrian soldiers, though the exact number was not provided, and seized Syrian military vehicles and equipment.
The Epoch Times was unable to independently verify these reports.
“We’re deeply disturbed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria,” Carden told Reuters on Nov. 29, adding that “relentless attacks” in the past three days had resulted in at least 27 civilian deaths, including children.
Quoted by Iran’s IRNA news agency on Nov. 29, he labeled the offensive a “flagrant violation” of the 2019 tripartite agreement that formed the Idlib de-escalation zone.
Unconfirmed reports have also circulated in the past 24 hours in the media suggesting that Assad had traveled to Moscow for urgent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When asked about these reports, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov declined to comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
