Syria’s civil war is dramatically rekindling as Russia joins airstrikes on rebels who have captured Aleppo

The Syrian army and its ally Russia carried out deadly joint airstrikes on areas there on Monday Islamist-led rebels took control during the weekend. The attacks were in response to a lightning offensive by the rebels that wrested control of parts of northwestern Syria from government forces.

The conflict that began more than a decade ago took a major turn a few days ago, taking many by surprise – including, it seems, Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and his Russian backers. On Saturday, rebels, including many from the US-designated Islamic terrorist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), took control of the major city of Aleppo in northern Syria.

The rebels captured Aleppo’s airport and began pushing into towns and villages in the countryside around the city on Sunday, after leaving piles of dead government soldiers in the streets. Observers said the rebels often faced little to no resistance from regime forces, but on Monday the pace of the surprise offensive appeared to have slowed, with Assad and his Russian backers stepping up their response.

Surprise offensive by the Syrian rebels

Syria’s civil war began in 2011 after civilians led pro-democracy protests against Assad, and his government responded by opening fire on its own people. The ensuing war is believed to have killed some 500,000 people, but in recent years it had become a stalemate. Government forces have controlled the west and south of the country, American-backed rebels have dominated the northeast, and Islamist rebel groups – including those now in control of Aleppo – control most of the northwest.

“We are coming to Damascus,” the rebels chanted on Sunday as they threatened to advance on Syria’s national capital and the stronghold of the Assad government.

The balance of the standoff began to change last week, when the Islamist-led rebel alliance in the northwest launched its offensive. HTS and allied factions took control of the city of Aleppo this weekend for the first time since the civil war began more than a decade ago, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

An ancient city dominated by its characteristic citadel, Aleppo is home to two million people. It was the scene of heavy fighting earlier in the conflict, but until Sunday the rebels had never managed to fully capture it. Video showed rebels in military gear patrolling the streets of Aleppo, some burning a Syrian flag and others holding up the green-red-black-white flag of the revolution.

While the streets appeared largely empty, some residents came out to cheer on the advancing rebel fighters. HTS is an alliance led by the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. It fights alongside allied factions, with units taking orders from a joint command.

Aron Lund of the Century International think tank said: “Aleppo appears to be lost to the regime.”

He added: “And a government without Aleppo is not really a functional government of Syria.”

The United States and its allies France, Germany and Britain called on Sunday for “de-escalation” in Syria and the protection of civilians and infrastructure. The US has hundreds of troops in northeastern Syria as part of an anti-jihadist coalition, and has also continued to launch attacks on Islamist groups in the country.

Russia and Iran pledge to help Assad in Syria

Assad’s response to the surprise offensive intensified on Monday with joint airstrikes by his air force and his Russian allies, and extensive ground operations aimed at recapturing towns and villages north of Aleppo reportedly underway.

Syrian-Russian airstrikes have hit several areas of both Aleppo and neighboring Idlib provinces, killing at least 49 people, including 17 civilians, according to the Observatory.

“The attacks targeted displaced families living on the edge of a displaced persons camp,” said Hussein Ahmed Khudur, a 45-year-old teacher who took refuge in a camp in Idlib after fleeing fighting in Aleppo province. He said one of the five people killed in one attack was a student of his, and the other four were his four sisters.

Russia, that first directly intervened in the Syrian war in 2015 said on Monday it continued to support Assad.

“We will of course continue to support Bashar al-Assad and we will continue contacts at the appropriate levels. We are analyzing the situation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi was in Syria on Sunday to deliver a message of support, state media said.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said the Islamic Republic had entered Syria at the official invitation of Assad’s government.

“Our military advisors were present in Syria, and they are still present. The presence of advisors of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Syria is not new,” he said.

The same Syrian civil war, but very different times

Although the fighting has its roots in a war that started more than a decade ago, much has changed since then. Millions of Syrians have been displaced, including about 5.5 million in neighboring countries.

Most of the people involved in the initial anti-Assad protests are dead, in exile or in prison.

Russia, meanwhile, is approaching the third year of its incredibly costly period large-scale war against Ukraineand it has greatly weakened Iran’s militant allies, Hezbollah and Hamas more than a year of conflict with Israel.

On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would maintain its military support for the Syrian government.

But the role of Lebanese Hezbollah, which played a key role in supporting the government, especially around Aleppo, remains in question, especially after withdrawing from several positions to focus on the fight against Israel.

HTS and its allies began their offensive on Wednesday, just as a The ceasefire came into effect in Lebanon after over a year war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The recent violence in Syria has killed around 244 rebels and 141 Syrian regime and allied fighters, along with at least 24 civilians, according to the Observatory, which has a network of sources in Syria. The Observatory said the rebel advance met little resistance.

Aaron Stein, president of the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, said: “Russia’s presence has been significantly depleted and quick response airstrikes are of limited use.”

He called the rebel advance “a reminder of how weak the rebels are.” [Assad] regime.”

Sunday’s airstrikes on parts of Aleppo were the first since 2016.

Khaled Wassef and Holly Williams contributed to this report.