The Aleppo city of Syria is no longer under the control of President Bashar al-Assad's government, for the first time since the conflict began in the country, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (Dec 1), citing a war monitor.

The Aleppo city of Syria is no longer under the control of President Bashar al-Assad's government, for the first time since the conflict began in the country, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (Dec 1), citing a war monitor. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied rebel factions "control Aleppo city, except the neighbourhoods controlled by the Kurdish forces." "For the first time since the conflict started in 2012, Aleppo city is out of control of Syrian regime forces," Rahman added. Also read | Syria rebels seize Aleppo, other strategic towns; Iran says its consulate attacked In a shock offensive, rebel factions breached Aleppo on Friday and clashed with government forces for the first time since 2016. The advance on Aleppo followed a shock offensive by insurgents on Wednesday. The surprise attack sent residents fleeing and added fresh uncertainty to a region reeling under multiple wars. Here's a look at the updates: > The death toll in the conflict is now over 400. > The toll in five days of clashes and air strikes "has reached 412", the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, including 214 rebels from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied factions who launched the offensive, 137 pro-government forces and 61 civilians, 17 of them on Sunday. > Aleppo is no longer under the Assad government's control for the first time since the Syrian civil war began in 2012. > Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that he would leave Tehran for Damascus to deliver a message of support for Syria's government and armed forces. > "I am going to Damascus to convey the message of the Islamic Republic to the Syrian government," Foreign Minister Araghchi said, emphasising Tehran will "firmly support the Syrian government and army." > A day earlier, Iran's foreign ministry said its consulate in Aleppo had come under attack, but staff members were safe. > Also on Saturday, rebel factions seized Aleppo's airport and dozens of nearby towns after overrunning most of the city. > The Syrian Army confirmed that the rebels had entered "large parts" of Aleppo of around two million people and said "dozens of men from our armed forces were killed." Also watch | The West Asia Post: Syrian rebels seize over 50 towns, villages × > Since 2020, the rebel enclave in Syria's northwestern Idlib region has been subject to a Turkish- and Russian-brokered truce that has largely been held despite repeated violations. > But the insurgents' launch of a surprise offensive on Wednesday against Aleppo shattered the truce. > The Syrian government regained control of a large part of the country in 2015 with the support of its Russian and Iranian allies, and in 2016 the entire of Aleppo. > On Saturday, Russia launched its first air strikes on Aleppo since 2016, targeting the rebels. > The state-run Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of the Enemy Parties in Syria said missile and bomb strikes against the rebels had targeted "militant concentrations, command posts, depots, and artillery positions" in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. (With inputs from agencies)

Aleppo no longer under Assad govt's control for first time since Syrian civil war

Russia launched a series of airstrikes in Syria on Sunday as rebel forces advanced further following their takeover of Aleppo, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Russia launched a series of airstrikes in Syria on Sunday as rebel forces advanced further following their takeover of Aleppo, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The Observatory reported that five people were killed in a strike targeting a hospital in Aleppo. Another airstrike in the north-western city of Idlib resulted in the deaths of eight civilians and left over 50 injured. Russian warplanes also bombed rural areas in Idlib and Hama, regions that have recently come under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group leading the rebel offensive, the SOHR added. As per monitor, says death toll in Syria rebel offensive rises to 412, AFP reported. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is designated a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council. The Syrian army intensified its strikes, carried out in coordination with Russian jets on Idlib, and claimed to have killed and wounded dozens of insurgents. For the first time since the Syrian civil war began, government forces have lost control of Aleppo, the monitors told AFP. Key developments: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime is backed by Moscow, vowed to protect the country’s "stability and territorial integrity" against what he called "terrorists and their backers." Also read: Israel-Hamas war: 'White House not there yet on ceasefire, hostage deal' Since the rebels launched a surprise offensive on Wednesday, at least 372 people, including 20 civilians, have been killed, according to the SOHR. The monitor noted that Sunday’s Russian airstrikes in Idlib, a rebel stronghold in north-western Syria, claimed several civilian lives. The SOHR detailed the following civilian casualties: A child was killed during strikes in Al-Atareb. Four university students were killed when Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fired rockets at a student dormitory in Aleppo. Four individuals were killed in a Russian airstrike on a refugee camp in Idlib. Sixteen were killed in airstrikes near the Al-Basel roundabout. Twenty-three others were killed in separate Russian airstrikes across Idlib, Al-Atareb, and Darat Izza in western Aleppo's countryside. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Damascus later on Sunday. He reiterated Tehran’s support for the Syrian government and its military as rebel forces gain ground in the south. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the situation, stating that Israel is closely monitoring developments in Syria. “We are determined to defend Israel’s vital interests and preserve the achievements of war,” Netanyahu said while visiting military recruits at a base in central Israel. Israel shares a border with Syria through the Golan Heights, which it occupies. (With inputs from agencies)

Rebel offensive and Russian strikes in Syria leave 412 dead - Top updates

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Aleppo no longer under Assad govt's control for first time since Syrian civil war

Rebel offensive and Russian strikes in Syria leave 412 dead - Top updates