 "Syrian rebels take over Aleppo: What about the rest of the country?")
The latest offensive by Islamist-led rebels in Syria has brought the 13-year-long war to the spotlight again. Syrian insurgents have captured large parts of the northern city of Aleppo in the offensive that began last week.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia, Iran and regional militias such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, is trying to hold on to power and stop the advance of the opposition fighters.
The surprise offensive last week has shifted who controls what in Syria. Let’s take a closer look.
Syrian government
The Syrian government led by President Assad controls most parts of Syria. However, it has lost Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, and some areas in the country’s northwest in the latest offensive.
Aleppo had been under the control of Syrian government forces since 2016 when Iran, Russia and the Hezbollah group helped Assad retake the city.
As per an AFP report, the Syrian government still controls the country’s south, including Sweida province.
Airstrikes overnight have pushed the Syrian rebels back from the edge of Hama, as per a Reuters report on Wednesday (December 3). The fall of the central city of Hama would have dealt a devastating blow to Assad. Intense fighting over Jabal Zain al-Abidin, a hill 5 km northeast of Hama, was reported by the state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.
“We were forced to retreat under heavy enemy bombardment by air,” Abu al-Qaqaa, a rebel commander in the area, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Syrian government forces got help from Iran-backed militia groups to reinforce the front lines at Hama.
Iraqi fighters backed by Iran have reached Syria to aid the government, while Tehran said on Tuesday (December 3) that it would consider sending troops if requested, Reuters reported.
The Syrian government also controls Damascus, its surrounding province, central Homs province, Tartus, and most of Latakia provinces on the west coast, according to the AFP report.
The Syrian government forces are also present in the Hasakeh province in the northeast,
including in Hasakeh and Qamishli cities.
The government still holds a part of Aleppo province in the north, along with swathes of Raqqa province and about half of the eastern Deir ez-Zur province.
The Syrian army is supported by the National Defence Forces, a pro-government paramilitary group.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
The Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda before breaking ties in 2016. The group is behind the latest rebel offensive in Syria’s northwest.
On November 27, HTS and its allies launched the surprise offensive, capturing large areas of Aleppo. The group has also seized towns and villages in southern parts of the northwestern Idlib province over the past few days.
As per Al Jazeera, the group captured at least 19 towns and villages by last Wednesday as it advanced into the western Aleppo governorate.
By early Tuesday (December 3), the insurgents seized 14 central villages and towns including Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, Maardis and Soran, which was confirmed by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The rebel group has said the attacks are retaliation for the Syrian government targeting cities in Idlib, including Ariha and Sarmada.
Syrian government forces responded to the attacks by bombarding rebel-held regions. Syria and Russia have also intensified air raids on Idlib and Aleppo.
This is the first major attack against the Syrian government since 2020 when the frontlines were settled.
HTS already holds parts of Idlib province and territory in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces, reported AFP.
Kurdish forces
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group backed by the United States, holds parts of eastern Syria.
The group, seen as the de facto army of the Kurds, was formed in 2015 and comprises Kurds, Syriac Christians and Arab Muslim fighters.
The SDF holds Hasakeh province, most of Raqqa province including the city, half of neighbouring Deir ez-Zur, and part of Aleppo province.
The US-led coalition forces have erected bases in the Al-Omar oilfield and the Conoco gas field – both falling in Kurdish-controlled territory. US troops are also deployed in Hasakeh and Raqqa provinces.
They set up a remote base in southern Syria’s Al-Tanf region, bordering Jordan and Iraq, in 2016, as per the AFP report.
Turkey and its allies
The Syrian National Army, supported by Turkey , is a rebel faction in northern Syria.
Turkey-backed factions control territory along the Turkish border, including a 120km stretch of border territory from Ras al-Ain in Hasakeh province to Tal Abyad in Raqqa.
Pro-Turkish forces also control a part of the border from Jarabulus to Afrin in Aleppo province, including major towns like Al-Bab and Azaz.
Days after the latest HTS offensive, Ankara-backed groups targeted Kurdish-led fighters in the Tal Rifaat enclave. As per the Observatory, these factions seized the key town of Tal Rifaat and nearby villages in Aleppo province.
Islamic State
While the IS was defeated in Syria in 2019, its militants remain active in the Syrian desert from where they launch attacks against the SDF and the army.
With inputs from agencies
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