Jihadists Announce Their Re-Entry into Syria's Aleppo
For nearly ten years, terrorist forces have been observed wreaking havoc in regions under the control of the Syrian government. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Government forces have reported inflicting significant losses on terrorists as they respond to the surprise offensive.
Jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on Friday that its fighters have entered the Syrian city of Aleppo, following a surprise offensive launched two days prior against Syrian government forces.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, HTS claimed that its militants have begun to advance into various neighborhoods in Aleppo, a city under government control since 2016.
As reported by Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency, clashes between the jihadists and the Syrian Army have occurred within Aleppo.
Social media footage allegedly shows HTS fighters moving through the city both on foot and in armored vehicles. Earlier on the same day, the jihadists asserted that they had taken control of roughly 400 square kilometers of territory across Aleppo and Idlib provinces, alongside capturing heavy weaponry and military equipment from the Syrian Army.
In response to the militants’ incursion, the Syrian Defense Ministry stated that government forces “have succeeded in regaining control” of certain areas in Aleppo and Idlib. The Ministry also claimed that “our armed forces were able to inflict heavy losses on the attacking organizations,” resulting in hundreds dead and wounded.
The attacking HTS fighters reportedly employed a variety of heavy weapons and drones, with the Ministry mentioning that their ranks include “large groups of foreign terrorist militants.” The Ministry further announced that “our forces have succeeded in regaining control of some points that witnessed breaches during the past hours, and will continue combat operations until [the terrorists] are turned back.”
According to Syria’s Al Sham radio station, Russian and Syrian jets have conducted airstrikes against the jihadists. Russian Colonel Oleg Ignatiuk claimed on Thursday that these strikes had eliminated over 400 enemy combatants in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
Before adopting its current name in 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, a key faction opposing Bashar Assad’s government during the Syrian Civil War.
Russia entered the conflict in 2015, aiding Assad in reclaiming much of the territory from Jabhat al-Nusra, Islamic State fighters, and numerous US-backed groups labeled as “moderate rebels” by Washington.
Damascus has also accused Western countries of supporting terrorist organizations within the country.
In a 2021 interview, former US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey characterized HTS as “an asset” of Washington. Meanwhile, the group’s leader, former Al Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, maintained that his organization “does not represent a threat” to Western interests.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on Friday that its fighters have entered the Syrian city of Aleppo, following a surprise offensive launched two days prior against Syrian government forces.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, HTS claimed that its militants have begun to advance into various neighborhoods in Aleppo, a city under government control since 2016.
As reported by Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency, clashes between the jihadists and the Syrian Army have occurred within Aleppo.
Social media footage allegedly shows HTS fighters moving through the city both on foot and in armored vehicles. Earlier on the same day, the jihadists asserted that they had taken control of roughly 400 square kilometers of territory across Aleppo and Idlib provinces, alongside capturing heavy weaponry and military equipment from the Syrian Army.
In response to the militants’ incursion, the Syrian Defense Ministry stated that government forces “have succeeded in regaining control” of certain areas in Aleppo and Idlib. The Ministry also claimed that “our armed forces were able to inflict heavy losses on the attacking organizations,” resulting in hundreds dead and wounded.
The attacking HTS fighters reportedly employed a variety of heavy weapons and drones, with the Ministry mentioning that their ranks include “large groups of foreign terrorist militants.” The Ministry further announced that “our forces have succeeded in regaining control of some points that witnessed breaches during the past hours, and will continue combat operations until [the terrorists] are turned back.”
According to Syria’s Al Sham radio station, Russian and Syrian jets have conducted airstrikes against the jihadists. Russian Colonel Oleg Ignatiuk claimed on Thursday that these strikes had eliminated over 400 enemy combatants in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
Before adopting its current name in 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, a key faction opposing Bashar Assad’s government during the Syrian Civil War.
Russia entered the conflict in 2015, aiding Assad in reclaiming much of the territory from Jabhat al-Nusra, Islamic State fighters, and numerous US-backed groups labeled as “moderate rebels” by Washington.
Damascus has also accused Western countries of supporting terrorist organizations within the country.
In a 2021 interview, former US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey characterized HTS as “an asset” of Washington. Meanwhile, the group’s leader, former Al Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, maintained that his organization “does not represent a threat” to Western interests.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
