Thousands of Syrian insurgents have made significant advances on government-held areas in the country's northwest, reaching the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city. They have also gained control of several strategic towns and villages along the way, according to activists and fighters.
State media reported that projectiles from insurgents landed in student accommodations at Aleppo University, resulting in the deaths of four people, including two students. Public transportation to the city has been diverted from the main highway linking Aleppo to the capital Damascus to avoid clashes.
Residents in Aleppo have reported hearing sounds of missiles on the city's outskirts as fighters continue to advance on the town of Saraqab in northwestern Idlib province, a strategic area that would secure supply lines to Aleppo.
This week's advances mark one of the largest offensives by opposition factions, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), since 2020. The fighting is the most intense in northwestern Syria since government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.
Syria's Armed Forces have accused the insurgents of violating a 2019 agreement that aimed to de-escalate fighting in the area, which has been the last remaining opposition stronghold for years. State media reported airstrikes on insurgents' positions in Aleppo and Idlib countrysides.
The war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that dozens of fighters from both sides have been killed in the battles that began on Wednesday. The insurgents have seized control of more than 50 villages in their advance, catching government forces unprepared.
Iran-linked groups, who have supported Syrian government forces since 2015, have been preoccupied with internal conflicts. Israel and Hezbollah, the lead group in the Iran-backed alliance, have been engaged in escalating hostilities since September.
The insurgents have claimed to have wrestled control of the Scientific Research Center neighborhood, about 4 kilometers from the western outskirts of Aleppo city. Videos posted online show insurgents using drones in their advance, a new weapon in their arsenal.
Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Syrian opposition fighters have seized control of an area of approximately 400 square kilometers in Aleppo and Idlib province, reaching one kilometer outside of Aleppo City. The insurgents have attacked a military airbase southeast of Aleppo city with drones, destroying a helicopter.
The fighting has displaced thousands of families and forced the suspension of some services. The opposition fighters aim to allow the return of displaced people who fled government bombardment in recent weeks.
The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a significant turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters. Russia and Iran, along with allied groups, helped Syrian government forces reclaim control of all of Aleppo that year after a grueling military campaign and siege.
Turkey has been a key supporter of opposition forces, while the United States has backed Syrian Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants in eastern Syria.
