Russian and Syrian jets carried out airstrikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib in northern Syria on Sunday, military sources reported. This attack comes as President Bashar al-Assad vowed to defeat the insurgents who had entered the city of Aleppo.
Local residents said one of the airstrikes hit a busy residential area in central Idlib, which is the largest city in a rebel-controlled zone near the Turkish border.
The area, home to around four million people, has many makeshift tents and dwellings. At least seven people were killed, and dozens were injured in the attack, according to rescue teams. Both the Syrian army and Russia claimed they target insurgent hideouts and denied hitting civilian areas.
On Saturday, Russian and Syrian jets also bombed other towns in Idlib province, which has been under full rebel control after a major assault that has escalated the civil war. This was the most significant rebel offensive in years, especially after frontlines had remained mostly unchanged since 2020.
The insurgents advanced into Aleppo on Friday night, forcing the Syrian army to redeploy in what has become the biggest challenge for Assad in years. Assad responded by stating that "terrorists only understand the language of force, and it is the language we will use to crush them."
The Syrian army reported that dozens of soldiers were killed in the Aleppo attack. On Sunday, they claimed to have recaptured several towns that had been seized by rebels.
These rebels are a mix of Turkey-backed secular groups and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group that is the most powerful opposition force. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, Russia, and other countries.
The Syrian civil war, which started in 2011, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people. Major fighting stopped years ago after Iran and Russia helped Assad's government regain control of most of the country.
In Aleppo, many streets were empty, and shops were closed as residents stayed indoors in fear. Many civilians were leaving the city, according to witnesses. Rebel fighters could be seen on the streets, and some took positions at key intersections.
One merchant, Ahmad Tutenji, said he was shocked by how quickly the army retreated. A pensioner, Abdullah al Halabi, expressed fear that the city would suffer more bombings like the Russian-led attacks that had killed thousands before driving out the rebels years ago.
Syrian troops who withdrew from Aleppo are regrouping, and reinforcements are being sent to counter the rebel advance. Aleppo had been under government control since 2016 when Russian-backed forces defeated the rebels in a pivotal battle.
Rebels claimed they had advanced further south of Aleppo, capturing the town of Khansir to cut off the army’s main supply route to the city. They also said they had seized the Sheikh Najjar industrial zone. These claims could not be independently verified.
Iran had sent many Shi'ite militias to Syria to support Assad during the war, and alongside Russian air power, they helped crush the insurgency. The recent lack of these forces in the Aleppo area contributed to the Syrian army’s quick retreat.
Iran’s Hezbollah group maintains a strong presence in the region. Meanwhile, Israel has increased airstrikes on Iranian positions in Syria, which has reportedly weakened Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
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