**Fatshimetrie: Rebels capture Aleppo airport**
The situation in Syria has taken a decisive turn as rebels have captured Aleppo airport, provoking an intense response from government forces and their Russian allies. The rebel advance marks a new chapter in the conflict that has ravaged the country for years.
Since the sudden loss of the city of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, Syrian and Russian aircraft have been stepping up strikes against opposition forces in northern Syria. The offensive is aimed at punishing the rebels for their rapid offensive that captured key areas east of Aleppo and surrounding provinces.
The recent rebel advance represents the biggest challenge in eight years for President Bashar al-Assad. This advance was facilitated by the formation of a rebel coalition called the Military Operations Command, which managed to capture several strategic sites in Aleppo, including the airport, where fighters dressed in fatigues were seen inside the main terminal.
The rebels consolidated their gains by capturing key military sites in eastern Aleppo city. However, they left some neighborhoods in the hands of Kurdish forces. This takeover by opposition forces would make any counteroffensive promised by the Syrian Defense Ministry very difficult.
Government aircraft, supported by Russian aircraft based in Syria, have carried out airstrikes against opposition positions in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. The official Russian news agency TASS reported that the Syrian army had intensified its strikes against terrorist positions and their supply lines, killing and wounding dozens of people.
The bombings killed at least four people in an airstrike near Aleppo University, according to a video geolocated by Fatshimetrie. The impact of these attacks on the civilian population raises major humanitarian concerns.
The Syrian conflict, which has already claimed more than 300,000 lives and forced nearly 6 million to flee the country, is now experiencing an unprecedented surge in violence since 2020. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, are driving a new balance of power in the region. This development highlights the growing role of Turkey, while Russia’s power weakens and Iran finds itself on the defensive.
The escalation of violence in Aleppo raises complex questions for Western governments, which must juggle support for the opposition with fears of a possible Islamist reign over the city. This development highlights the complex geopolitical stakes in the region, with potentially devastating consequences for the Syrian civilian population.
The capture of Aleppo airport by rebels is a major turning point in the Syrian conflict, which continues to tear the country apart and cause untold suffering for its population. It is imperative that the international community step up its efforts to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to this devastating conflict that has already lasted too long.