It’s All Kicking Off in Syria Again.

Rebels in Syria—many with ties to terrorist and Islamic extremist groups, including al-Qaeda—have breached parts of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, leading to clashes with government forces. The confrontation was sparked by two car bombs detonated by the insurgents on Friday. The attacks and fight over the city mark renewed hostilities in the now over-decade-old Syrian civil war.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a prominent monitoring group, reported intense skirmishes between the insurgents and Assad government soldiers. Conflict intensified following a surprise offensive by the rebels on Wednesday. During this attack, they captured several towns and villages as they progressed toward Aleppo.

This rebel offensive is notable as it marks the first time since 2016 that opposition fighters have surrounded the city. That year, a Syrian military effort backed by Russia and Iran pushed insurgents out of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods. A subsequent ceasefire four years ago yielded a relatively peaceful period.

Local accounts describe Aleppo residents evacuating areas along the city’s western periphery due to missile fire and gunfights. An insurgent commander has utilized social media to implore civilians in Aleppo to cooperate with the rebels. The attacking forces are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly al-Nusra, a Sunni Islamist group and that was Syria’s official al-Qaeda affiliate before rebranding.

Syrian state media reported that projectiles fired by insurgents hit university student accommodations in central Aleppo. This attack resulted in four fatalities, including two students. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also indicated that at least 121 individuals have died since HTS, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, initiated the current offensive.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/11/30/its-all-kicking-off-in-syria-again