ADVANCING rebel forces have captured swathes of northern Syria in a major blow to tyrant Bashar al-Assad and his chief ally Vladimir Putin.
Islamist anti-government groups launched a shock offensive in recent days to seize much of Aleppo and have now started to advance south.
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Opposition fighters have kept up their push for territory and are now pushing further south into several towns in the countryside near Syria’s fourth largest city of Hama.
A scrambling Putin was forced to launch his war jets in a desperate drive to halt the Hama surge with the rebels challenging ruthless butcher Assad.
The fearless fighters – led by militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – have seized their chance to exploit a weakness in Assad forces caused by Russia turning their focus on Ukraine.
Vlad is still stuck in a war of attrition with both Ukraine directly and their Nato allies with the dictator still looking to break European spirits.
Assad’s only other powerful chum comes from Iran who are still reeling from Israel’s dismantling of its fellow allies Hezbollah.
These separate conflicts have appeared to give the Syrian rebels the perfect moment to strike with fury and vengeance.
The ferocious march into Aleppo in armoured trucks and tanks resulted in hours of bloodshed as the rebels battled with Russian-backed guards.
Footage shows the rebels proudly claiming the city as their own.
Rami Abdel Rahman, from Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that rebel factions now “control Aleppo city”.
It would mark the first time Assad’s government has lost the city since the start of the conflict in 2012.
In a strong reaction to the Syrian surge, Putin was forced to order the first Russian strikes on Aleppo since 2016 on Saturday and again today.
Terrifying Russian warplanes dropped explosives over Syria’s second largest city – reportedly killing hundreds including civilians.
Russia’s defence ministry told state news sites that “at least 300 militants” had been eliminated by the missiles.
They targeted command posts, warehouses and artillery positions.
Earlier today Russia carried out a further “series of air strikes”, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Rural areas in Idlib and Hama were targeted, added the SOHR.
Syria’s military has now ordered a “defensive line” to be drawn around a number of nearby cities as they seek to cling on to power in the region.
The resurgence of the war is a blow to Putin, whose manpower and weaponry are already stretched to the limit in Ukraine.
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He needs to prop up Assad to maintain Russia’s foothold in the Middle East – which includes close military ties with neighbouring Iran.
Speaking on Saturday, President Bashar al-Assad vowed to “defend Syria’s stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers”.
“The country is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them, no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are,” he added.
The Syrian civil war – which has left around half a million people dead – began in 2011 after the Assad government responded to pro-democracy “Arab Spring” protests with a brutal crackdown.
Assad would have lost the war had he not been bailed out by the Russian air force, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a mix of militant groups, including Hezbollah.
Fighting has been halted by a ceasefire agreed in 2020, but opposition forces have maintained control of the north-western city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province.
Idlib is just 34 miles from Aleppo, which was a rebel stronghold until it fell to government forces in 2016.
The city has since been decimated by revenge strikes targeting the rebels.
Syria’s army has continued to deny losing Aleppo and any other city to the opposition forces.
They were forced to admit that they are redeploying forces however, as counterattack trikes supported by Russia were unleashed.
Further fighting also kicked off in Aleppo by separate rebels in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
They seized control of the international airport as the regime’s forces left to defend against the rushing HTS.
Aleppo has been one of the most volatile areas in Syria for years.
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