Syria launches counterattacks to halt insurgents’ advance

The Syrian defense pressure rushed in reinforcements and struck Idlib metropolis Sunday in an attempt to keep off insurgents from advancing farther after seizing Aleppo and surrounding strategic areas in an adjacent province in a shock offensive.

The insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took over most of Aleppo on Saturday and claimed to have entered the metropolis of Hama. There became as soon as no neutral affirmation of their announce.

The swift and shock offensive is a big embarrassment for Syrian President Bashar Assad and raises questions about his troops’ preparedness. It also comes at a time when Assad’s allies — Iran and teams it backs and Russia — are preoccupied with their very maintain conflicts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels to Syrian capital Damascus later Sunday. He told newshounds that Tehran will wait on the Syrian executive and navy. Arab leaders, together with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in calls with Assad expressed their team spirit with Damascus.

Turkey, a indispensable backer of Syrian opposition teams, stated its diplomatic efforts had failed to stop Syrian executive attacks on opposition-held areas in latest weeks. Turkish security officers stated a little offensive by the rebels became as soon as planned to stop executive attacks and allow civilians to return, nonetheless the offensive expanded as Syrian executive forces started to retreat from their positions.

The insurgency, led by Salafi jihadi neighborhood Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and which entails Turkey-backed fighters, launched their offensive on Wednesday with a two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the Idlib countryside, sooner than transferring toward Hama province. In Aleppo province, they captured a strategic town that lies on the motorway linking Aleppo with Damascus and the waft.

Insurrection commander Col. Hassan Abdulghani stated that no topic the chief counteroffensive, his fighters had been making positive factors in Aleppo. He says they took wait on watch over of Sheikh Najjar, is also named the Aleppo Industrial Metropolis, Aleppo’s defense pressure academy and the field artillery college.

Abdulghani stated 65 Syrian troops had been taken prisoner in jap Aleppo.

In totally different locations, he stated the insurgents advanced within the Idlib countryside, striking all of the province below their wait on watch over.

The United Worldwide locations special envoy for Syria stated the shock push by the rebels poses a threat to regional security and called on resuming diplomatic efforts to pause the war.

“I in actual fact have over and over warned of the dangers of escalation in Syria, of the dangers of mere war administration barely than war resolution,” Geir Pedersen stated in an announcement. He stated the true fact is that no Syrian rep together or grouping of actors can unravel the war by defense pressure manner.

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