{"id":426454,"date":"2024-12-03T09:51:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T09:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=426454"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Syria-s-Assad-says-rebel-advance-a-bid-to-redraw-regional-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Syria-s-Assad-says-rebel-advance-a-bid-to-redraw-regional-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Syria’s Assad says rebel advance a bid to ‘redraw’ regional map"},"content":{"rendered":"

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad on Monday branded an Islamist-led offensive that has captured swathes of territory an attempt to redraw the regional map in line with US interests.<\/p>\n

His comments in a phonecall with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian came as Syrian and allied Russian warplanes launched deadly raids on rebel-controlled areas.<\/p>\n

Both Russia and Iran back Assad, and say they will help his forces fight back after Aleppo, Syria’s second city, fell out of government control.<\/p>\n

Syria has been at war since Assad cracked down on democracy protests in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and jihadists, and left 500,000 people dead.<\/p>\n

The conflict had been mostly dormant with Assad back in control of much of the country until last week, when the Islamist-led rebel alliance began its offensive.<\/p>\n

“The terrorist escalation reflects the far-reaching goals of dividing the region and fragmenting the countries in it and redraw the map in line with the objectives of the United States and the West,” a statement from Assad’s office quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian pledged continued support and said: “We hope that with your tact, strength and fortitude, the country of Syria will pass through this stage with success and victory.”<\/p>\n

The Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and allied factions took Aleppo at the weekend, except for neighbourhoods controlled by Kurdish forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.<\/p>\n

They also seized Aleppo International Airport. Abu Sufyan, a rebel commander, told AFP: “God willing, we will continue, go into Damascus and liberate the rest of Syria.”<\/p>\n

– Panic –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, one Aleppo resident said the rebel takeover plunged the city into panic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“There were terrible traffic jams — it took people 13 to 15 hours to reach Homs” in central Syria, which is under government control. Normally, he said, the drive would take a couple of hours.<\/p>\n

Aleppo, an ancient city dominated by its landmark citadel, is home to two million people and saw fierce fighting earlier in the war.<\/p>\n

But until this weekend the rebels were never able to take over totally.<\/p>\n

AFPTV footage showed rebels patrolling the streets, some setting fire to a Syrian flag and others holding the flag of the revolution.<\/p>\n

While the streets appeared mostly empty, some people came out to cheer the fighters.<\/p>\n

– Deadly attacks –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

HTS, an alliance led by Al-Qaeda’s former Syria branch, has faced accusations of human rights abuses including torturing detainees.<\/p>\n

It is fighting alongside allied factions under a joint command.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Syrian and Russian air raids on several areas of Idlib province in the northwest killed 11 civilians including five children, the Observatory said.<\/p>\n

“The strikes targeted… displaced families living on the edge of a displacement camp,” said Hussein Ahmed Khudur, a 45-year-old teacher who sought refuge at the camp from fighting in Aleppo province.<\/p>\n

He said one of the children who died was a student of his, and the other four were his sisters.<\/p>\n

Other strikes in Aleppo killed four civilians, two of them children, the Observatory said, adding that air raids also targeted a Christian-majority neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

Islamist-led rebels killed six civilians on Monday in a rocket attack on the government-held city of Hama, the Observatory said.<\/p>\n

AFPTV footage showed rebels pushing into Hama province in central Syria.<\/p>\n

– ‘Unconditional support’ –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Russia first intervened directly in the Syrian war in 2015, and on Monday President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Pezeshkian both pledged “unconditional support” for their ally, according to the Kremlin.<\/p>\n

They also “emphasised the importance” of coordinating with Turkey, the Russian side said in its readout of the call between the two leaders.<\/p>\n

Turkey on Monday rejected any suggestion of “foreign interference”.<\/p>\n

“The lack of talks between the regime and the opposition has brought the problem to this point,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a joint press conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.<\/p>\n

He called it “a mistake to ignore the legitimate demands of the opposition”.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0‘Limited utility’ –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

While the fighting is rooted in a war that began more than a decade ago, much has changed since then.<\/p>\n

Millions of Syrians have been displaced, with about 5.5 million now in neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n

Most of those involved in the initial anti-Assad protests are either dead, in jail or in exile.<\/p>\n

Russia is at war in Ukraine, and Iran’s militant allies Hezbollah and Hamas have been massively weakened by more than a year of conflict with Israel.<\/p>\n

Lebanon’s Hezbollah played a key role in backing government forces particularly around Aleppo, but it withdrew from several positions to focus on fighting Israel.<\/p>\n

HTS and its allies began their offensive on Wednesday, as a ceasefire took effect in Lebanon.<\/p>\n

The violence in Syria has killed more than 457 people, mostly combatants but also including at least 72 civilians, according to the Observatory.<\/p>\n

– Beyond Aleppo –<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Aron Lund of the Century International think tank said: “A government without Aleppo is not really a functional government of Syria.”<\/p>\n

He said a major question hangs over possible Turkish involvement.<\/p>\n

“I have a hard time imagining that Turkey-backed groups could launch a major rebel offensive out of Turkey-held areas without Turkey being very significantly involved,” he said.<\/p>\n

“But I also don’t think Turkey necessarily wanted the rebels to get this far.”<\/p>\n

The United States, France, Germany and Britain called Sunday for “de-escalation”, and for the protection of civilians and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Syria on Tuesday, diplomatic sources told AFP.<\/p>\n

bur-ser\/srm<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A rebel tears down a picture of Assad in Aleppo<\/p>\n

-Mohammed AL-RIFAI
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

The fighting is the fiercest Aleppo has seen in years<\/p>\n

-AAREF WATAD
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

Advancing rebels have found abanded Syrian army equipment<\/p>\n

-AAREF WATAD
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

Anti-government fighters hold an opposition flag as they pose for a picture at the entrance of Aleppo’s landmark citadel<\/p>\n

-MUHAMMAD HAJ KADOUR
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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