Syrian opposition fighters drive a seized seized Syrian army armoured vehicle near the town of Khan Assubul, Syria, southwest of Aleppo, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. Syrian opposition insurgency launched a campaign on Wednesday with a two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the countryside around Idlib.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
WJBF | Published December 2, 2029
BEIRUT (AP) — Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have deployed in Syria to back the government’s counteroffensive against a surprise advance by insurgents who seized the largest city of Aleppo, a militia official and a war monitor said Monday.
Insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a two-pronged attack on Aleppo last week and moved into the countryside around Idlib and neighboring Hama province. Government troops built a fortified defensive line in northern Hama in an attempt to stall the insurgents’ momentum while jets on Sunday pounded rebel-held lines.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus Sunday and announced Tehran’s full support for his government. He later arrived for talks in Ankara, Turkey, one of the rebels main backers.
“I clearly announced full-fledged support to President Assad, government, army, and people of Syria by the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Araghchi said. He did not further elaborate but Iran has been of Assad’s principal political and military supporters and has deployed military advisers and forces after 2011 protests against Assad’s rule turned into an all-out war.
Tehran-backed Iraqi militias already in Syria mobilized and additional forces crossed the border to support Assad’s government and army, said the Iraqi militia official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
According to Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some 200 Iraqi militiamen on pickups crossed into Syria overnight through the strategic Bou Kamal crossing. They were expected to deploy in Aleppo to support the Syrian army’s pushback against the insurgents, the monitor said.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.wjbf.com
RELATED: Syria President Assad huddles with Russia, Iran as rebels near; over 300 insurgents killed | What’s happening
Anti-government fighters reach the highway near the northern Syrian town of Azaz on December 1, 2024. The United States and its allies France, Germany and Britain called Sunday for “de-escalation” in Syria and urged in a joint statement for the protection of civilians and infrastructure. (AFP/ Rami al SAYED)
HINDUSTAN TIMES | Published December 2, 2029
Late last week, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a breakaway faction of al-Qaeda, staged a surprise offensive on Aleppo. Their sights are now set on the Syrian capital.
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad got his biggest challenge in recent years and it seemingly came out of nowhere. After four years of an uneasy stalemate Aleppo fell to Turkish-backed rebels in a matter of days.
Late last week, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a breakaway faction of al-Qaeda, staged a surprise offensive on Aleppo. They captured it over the weekend and are headed toward another major goal, Hama.
Over 300 insurgents have been killed in the fighting but it hasn’t stopped their advance.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.hindustantimes.com
Be the first to comment