Syria launches counter-attacks after rebels seize Aleppo in brutal surprise offensive
1 December 2024, 16:29
The Syrian regime's military have sent reinforcements after rebels coordinate surprise attack against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad in Aleppo.
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The insurgents, led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, took over most of Aleppo claimed to have entered the city of Hama.
The Syrian military rushed in reinforcements to stop the insurgents from advancing further.
The swift and surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Assad and raises questions about his troops’ preparedness.
Read More: Syrian Islamist rebel attacks could trigger 'flood' of refugees, former British ambassador warns
Syrian government forces have been backed by Russia, Iran and its allied groups - but Assad's allies are preoccupied with their own conflicts.
Rebel commander Colonel Hassan Abdulghani said that despite the government counter-offensive, his fighters are making gains in Aleppo.
He added that 65 Syrian troops were taken prisoner in eastern Aleppo.
Hundreds of people are said to have died in the latest wave of violence.
Peter Ford, Britain's former ambassador to Syria, told LBC's Matthew Wright that the surprise attack may cause 'floods' of refugees.
He also claimed that "crippling sanctions" imposed by Western countries have "decimated" the army's resources - such as fuel and food.
He said: "It will be difficult for the Syrian army to remobilise."
Assad said he would defend Syria's "stability and territorial integrity" and "defeat the terrorists and their supporters", after the insurgents largely overran Aleppo on Saturday.
He added that Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify.
According to Syrian state news agency Sana and a war monitor, the army pushed back insurgents in the northern countryside of Hama province overnight.
Syrian state media said government resupply included heavy equipment and rocket launchers, while Syrian and Russian air strikes targeted weapons depots and insurgent strongholds.
