Syrian army withdraws from Aleppo as rebels advance

Syrian government forces have withdrawn from the city of Aleppo following an offensive by rebels against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The army admitted rebels had entered “most” of the city, the country’s second largest, but vowed to mount a counterattack.

The attack marked the most significant fighting in Syria’s civil war in recent years.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since the operation began on Wednesday.

Speaking on Saturday, President Assad vowed to “protect [Syria’s] stability and territorial integrity against all terrorists and their supporters”.

“[The country] is capable, with the help of allies and friends, to defeat and eliminate them, no matter how ferocious their terrorist attacks,” his office quoted him as saying.

The civil war that has killed about half a million people began in 2011 after Assad’s government responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown.

The conflict has been largely dormant since a ceasefire in 2020, but opposition forces still maintain control of the northwestern city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province.

Idlib is just 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Aleppo, which was a rebel stronghold until it fell to government forces in 2016.

The latest attack was led by a jihadist group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions backed by Türkiye.

HTS is considered one of the most effective and dangerous groups opposing the Assad government and has been the dominant force in Idlib.

According to SOHR, rebels have taken control of Aleppo airport and dozens of neighboring towns.

They also announced a curfew that took effect at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and will be in effect until Sunday.

The Syrian army said rebels had launched “a widespread attack from multiple axes on the Aleppo and Idlib front” and that battles were taking place “over a strip more than 100km (60 miles) long”.

It said dozens of its soldiers were killed.

The Russian air force, which played a key role in maintaining Assad in power during the height of the civil war, carried out airstrikes in Aleppo on Saturday.

The attack marked the first time the force has entered the city since helping Syrian government forces retake the city in 2016.

Photos showed roads leading out of Aleppo clogged with traffic on Saturday as people tried to leave.