A new unexpected military development returns to upset the delicate balance of Middle East on fire: forces jihadists row-Turkish they entered without a shot being fired Aleppothe metropolis in the north of Syriaworld heritage UNESCOlong disputed in the context of the Syrian war but for the last eight years remained firmly in the hands of government forces, supported by Russia And Iran. Own Flyaccused by many of not having sufficiently come to the aid of its Syrian ally, condemned the offensive of the pro-Syrian militiamenTurkscalling it a «threat to the sovereignty of Syria». The authorities of Damascussaid the Kremlinthey must restore order in the area.
The Russian military has reported that its air force is bombing anti-government forces in Syria, in an operation to repel “extremists” and “terrorists” who have launched a major offensive on the city of Aleppo.
Russian Aerospace Forces, together with Syrian government forces, continue the operation to repel terrorist attacks in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, Oleg Ignasyuk, deputy head of the Center for Reconciliation of Parties to the Conflict in Syria, said in a briefing.
Ignasyuk added that the Russian Aerospace Forces, which provide support to Syria, are launching missile and bomb attacks against militants’ equipment, checkpoints, warehouses and artillery positions. “At least 200 terrorists have been killed in the last 24 hours and the operation to repel the aggression continues,” said the representative of the Ministry of Defense.
The offensive, which only began last Wednesday, has already claimed nearly 300 lives, mostly among the armed men of the various sides, as well as around thirty civilians, including women and children. THE’UN for now it records around 15 thousand displaced civilians, but it is a number destined to grow as the hours pass. Today, among others, four students from the university city of Aleppobombed with artillery by factions co-opted by Ankara. Other civilians killed can be counted – but there are no accurate and verifiable balances on the ground – under the rubble of the buildings hit by the air raids Russians and government in the nearby area Idlibstronghold of the militias financed, organized and armed by the for years Türkiye. Just the Turkish Foreign Ministryas the first official comment of Ankara to the ongoing violence, he ordered Damascus ea Fly to put an end to the aerial bombings. For its part, the Syrian central government, embodied by the president Bashar al Assadsaid he had “eliminated hundreds of terrorists», including numerous foreign mercenaries.
In the various videos published on social media by the militiamen jihadists row-Turks you see fighters Syrians alongside others Turkmen And Uighurs of Xinjang. These had found some resistance in the western campaigns of Aleppo by government forces and their foreign allies, including Lebanese Hezbollahpro-Afghan ShiitesIranians, Iranian Pasdaran. A general of Guardians of the Iranian Revolution he had been killed just on the outskirts of Aleppo.
But upon entering what for centuries was the most important city in all of Middle East the forces jihadistscustomers of Türkiyethey encountered almost no resistance. The western, northern and southern suburbs of Aleppo it was emptied of its already sparse regular troops Syrians and of the few pro-Iranians on the run and was populated with new ones instead Syrian militiamenmany of whom are incredulous and rejoicing at being able to “return” to ad Aleppo after being driven out during the bloody siege Russian-Iranian-government of the eastern neighborhoods and ended in December 2016 after four years of bitter battles and carpet bombings of the city.
«We are your brothers! Don’t be afraid!”, the leaders insistently repeated jihadist militias to civilians of Aleppo remained holed up in their homes waiting to understand the developments of an unexpected situation. In the evening, the leader of the jihadists, Abu Muhammad Jolanihead of the former wing of al Qaeda in Syriaasked his fighters to respect the inhabitants of Aleppo“of all religious confessions”. To Aleppo the sentiment is mixed between those who salute “the revolutionaries” and those who fear revenge.
“No military reinforcements have come from the government,” he states toHANDLE Yamanan Aleppine engineer who fled this morning towards Damascus. But the highway towards the south is interrupted at the height of Saraqeba key hub in the region of Idlibtaken by jihadists which interrupted the road axis Damascus-Aleppo. And they continued their advance throughout the countryside around the metropolis Syrianconquering about 60 smaller towns and localities in the northwest. In this context, the Foreign Minister Syrian Faysal al Miqdad he spoke on the phone with his colleague Iranian, Abbas Araghchiwho reiterated the intention of theIran to continue to support the government of Bashar al Assad.