Headline Roundup • December 2nd, 2024
Syrian Rebels Take Aleppo, Reigniting Civil War
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Insurgents stormed Syria's largest city, Aleppo, on Saturday in a surprise offensive. On Monday, the Syrian government launched strikes in and around Aleppo, reportedly killing at least 58.
History: The civil war began as a reaction to Syrian President Assad's violent crackdown in 2011 on what USA Today (Lean Left bias) called "pro-democracy protests" and the Wall Street Journal (Center) called "a popular uprising that soon spawned an armed insurrection." Turkey backs the rebels, while Russia and Iran have backed Assad's government. In 2020, Turkey and Russia brokered a ceasefire, which was broken last week.
For Context: Analysts said the timing likely has to do with Russia and Iran being stretched thin by wars with Israel and Ukraine. The main rebel group is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda. The U.S. sanctioned Assad's regime and launched airstrikes on their assets in 2018 for using chemical weapons on citizens, among other things.
Global Reactions: On Monday, the U.S., United Kingdom, France, and Germany issued a joint statement calling for the deescalation of the war. Russia and Iran signaled continued support for Assad, who traveled to Moscow recently. Assad has also relied on Iranian allied troops in Iraq. "Iraqi officials on Monday said that militants could be observed gathering on the Iraqi side of the border, but that the government was shoring up the border to prevent them from crossing in large numbers," The Wall Street Journal reported.
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Credit: AAREF WATAD/GETTY
Syrian rebels forced out of their homes eight years ago are returning with their families after almost a decade of exile in the opposition’s enclave of Idlib.
The fighters, some of them jihadists, were driven out of the Aleppo region after a successful government offensive in 2016.
But after last week’s lightning-fast offensive pushed government forces out of the area, many were seen making a tearful return to those left behind.
One video that circulated on social media showed a fighter desperately running across a field to greet a relative.
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Ghaith Alsayed / Associated Press
Thousands of Syrian insurgents took over most of the city of Aleppo on Saturday, establishing positions in the key city and controlling its airport before expanding their offensive to a nearby province. They faced little resistance from government troops, according to residents and fighters.
A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the insurgents seized control of Aleppo international airport. The fighters posted pictures from the airport.
Thousands of fighters also moved on to seize towns and villages in northern Hama province, where they had a presence before being expelled by...
Syrian government warplanes struck near and inside Aleppo in northwest Syria on Monday, state media and rescue workers said, as President Bashar al-Assad’s government moved to repel rebels who took control of the city in a recent lightning offensive.
Airstrikes also hit residential buildings in the city of Idlib, which has become a refuge for people displaced by the civil war, killing at least five civilians and leaving 30 others injured, according to the White Helmets, an independent rescue organization. The outskirts of Aleppo came under attack in a joint operation by Russian...
