Putin’s forces under attack in Syria as rebels charge on Aleppo

Russian forces faced an attack in Syria as rebel groups launched a wide-scale military operation in the capital of Aleppo on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The coalition of Syrian opposition groups led by the organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said the attack—which occurred in at least 10 areas—was in response to increased strikes by Russia and the Syrian air force against civilians in the city of Idlib. They also said their aim was to prevent attacks by the Syrian army, which was reportedly building up troops on the front lines with rebels.

Russian troops have been stationed in Syria since launching an intervention during the country’s civil war in 2015 in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad‘s government, while Turkey supports the rebel groups, Al Jazeera reported.

The Syrian rebels have attacked Al-Nayrab airport east of Aleppo, where pro-Iranian militias are reported to have outposts, and have advanced approximately 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo. They have also made advancements near two Shiite towns where Hezbollah has a strong military presence.

The Syrian army has reportedly targeted the rebel-controlled city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, as well as the towns of Ariha and Sarmada in Idlib province.

Newsweek contacted the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic for comment via email.

Militants are calling the rebel offensive “Deterring Aggression,” and some Z-channels, possibly Telegram channels, have reported that there have been losses of Russian Special Forces Operations members, according to the online investigative outlet the Insider. Newsweek is unable to independently verify the report.

This is the rebels’ first territorial advancement since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey agreed to a ceasefire regarding military activity in Idlib.

The group behind the rebel attack, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has previously been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and has been the target of both Syrian and Russian forces.

As of March 2023, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 266 Russian-backed non-Syrian mercenaries have been killed in the conflict.

In 2018, a Russian Defense Ministry video reported that more than 63,000 Russian soldiers had “received combat experience” in Syria since 2015.

In July, Russian forces were attacked in Syria by Ukrainian special forces. Kyiv launched an attack on the Russian army’s Kuweires airfield, located east of Aleppo, after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Syrian president.