Illustrative image.
Militants led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) developed their large-scale offensive against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), codenamed Operation Deterrence of Aggression, on November 30 afternoon.
In Aleppo, the militants expanded their control in the city despite heavy clashes with the SAA and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which arrived recently. The militants took losses. However, they captured Aleppo international Airport.
The militants also advanced in the countryside of the governorate, with Turkish-backed factions imposing control of the Kuweires Military Aviation Institute.
Meanwhile, HTS and its allies claimed complete control over the governorate of Idlib, including the entire countryside. Dozens of towns in the southern and eastern countryside fell into the hands of the militants, who advanced under intense Russian and Syrian airstrikes.
After their success in Aleppo and Idlib, the militants pushed into Hama capturing several towns in the northern countryside. One of the towns captured by the militants is said to be Murek, which is located less than 25 kilometers away from Hamas city.
At least 155 militants of HTS, 28 others from Turkey-backed factions and some 79 Syrian troops have been killed since the start of the offensive in Aleppo and neighboring Idlib on November 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based pro-opposition monitoring group.
The so-called Operation Deterrence of Aggression was launched early on November 27 from the Greater Idlib region, which includes Idlib city and parts of the governorates countryside as well as several towns in the northern Lattakia countryside, the northwestern Hamas countryside and the western countryside of Aleppo.
The Turkish military maintains a large presence in the region. However, HTS is the de-facto ruler. The terrorist group’s offensive put an end to a ceasefire agreement that was brokered by both Russia and Turkey on March 5 of 2020.
In the month leading to the offensive several reports talked about a plan by HTS and its allies to attack Aleppo city in order to take advantage of the distraction caused by the ongoing Israeli war on both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Moreover, Russian intelligence warned that the secret services of the Kiev regime were actively providing support to militants in Greater Idlib.
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