Syria war updates: Rebels take control of Aleppo, igniting new phase of war

This live page is now closed. Thank you for joining us for the latest updates on the Syrian war as rebel forces claim control of areas in and around Aleppo for the first time in nearly a decade.

This live page will be closing soon. Here’s a recap of today’s major developments:

• After capturing Aleppo, Syrian rebels advanced south, but there were conflicting reports on whether they reached the central city of Hama.
• Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has spoken with his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, who voiced support for Damascus.
• The Syrian armed opposition announced an effort to expand safe areas and allow displaced civilians in the Idlib province to return to their homes in recently captured territories.
• The United States said it “has nothing to do” with the rebel offensive but blamed al-Assad’s reliance on Russia and Iran for the renewed violence.
• Russia claims that the Syrian military killed 300 rebels with Russian air support over the past 24 hours.
• The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, recorded seven civilian deaths and 18 people injured during the government strikes.
• The Arab League said it is “anxiously watching” the events in Syria and warned about the re-emergence of “terrorist groups” in the country.
• Iran confirmed an attack on its consulate in Aleppo after online footage showed rebels ransacking the facility but said diplomats are safe.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Damascus and Ankara in the coming days.

In its first official comment on the renewed violence in Syria, the administration of US President Joe Biden says it is “closely monitoring the situation”.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett blamed the recent violence on al-Assad’s reliance on Russia and Iran, and his refusal to engage in a political process to resolve the conflict.

Still, Savett said Washington “has nothing to do with this offensive”, underscoring that the US considers HTS a “terrorist organization”.

“The United States, together with its partners and allies, urge de-escalation, protection of civilians and minority groups, and a serious and credible political process that can end this civil war once and for all,” Savett said in a statement.

With few independent journalists on the ground in Syria, unfounded rumours sometimes dominate the narrative.

Did the Syrian rebels enter the city of Hama? Are opposition fighters really going missing at the hands of sleeper cells in Aleppo, as some accounts on social media have claimed? When did al-Assad return from Russia, and how?

Conflicting accounts make it difficult to discern reality from propaganda. In the fog of war, even blatantly false reports sometimes spread online. In the past, for example, rumours about al-Assad and his brother Maher or opposition leaders being killed in the conflict made the rounds.

Karam Shaak, a Syrian political economist, took part in the Arab Spring uprising in March 2011 that ultimately sparked the country’s war.

But as opposition forces entered his former home of Aleppo this week, Shaak explained he was juggling contrasting emotions.

“It’s difficult not to feel jubilant with the recent developments,” he told Al Jazeera. “I’m actually very happy to see the statues of the Assad regime, the photos of Bashar al-Assad, being taken down.”

“But I must also admit that all of this is starting to subside, and I’m growing increasingly scared.”

Shaak explained that he still had extended family members in the city, and he – like many Aleppo residents – was uncertain about what would happen in the coming days.

He noted that, in the past, the Syrian government responded with heavy-handed force to opposition incursions.

“After 14 years of conflict, most people would want nothing but peace,” Shaak said.

“The Russian forces have actually already started bombing some parts of the city. And if we learned anything from the reaction of the regime and its allies, when the rebels were in control of the eastern part of the city, it is that they have no problem flattening the whole city.”

Shaak added that the renewed fighting in Aleppo could ultimately spur a new wave of internally displaced people or IDPs. So far, however, Shaak said that has not materialised.

“We’re not seeing actually large waves of IDPs. We’re not seeing people leaving,” he explained.

But he warned that humanitarian groups should be prepared for the possibility.

“In most of cases where there has been military confrontations, people actually fled to opposition-held areas, not to regime-held areas,” Shaak said.

“I think it’s a bit too early to predict what’s going to happen, but if the air strikes continue, I would expect significant waves of IDPs moving mostly towards the north of the country. Which means that humanitarian organisations need to start preparing for that scenario as soon as possible.”

Democratic Congressman and Senator-elect Ruben Gallego says he is “closely monitoring the updates out of Syria”.

“The Bashar al-Assad regime, working with Russia and Iran, have caused one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time,” Gallego wrote on social media.

“It is necessary [that] any future Syria be a place that respects human rights and religious minorities.”

I am closely monitoring the updates out of Syria, and am hopeful for a democratic Syria. The Bashar al-Assad regime, working with Russia and Iran, have caused one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time.

— Ruben Gallego (@RepRubenGallego) November 30, 2024

The White Helmets rescue group in Syria has called on people to take “extreme caution” when entering areas that saw clashes over the past several days – and to stay away from unexploded ordnances and strange objects.

“If you see an unexploded ordnance, please inform the Syrian Civil Defence crews without touching it or moving it,” it said.

Qais al-Muhammadawi, the deputy commander of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, says the country’s border with Syria is secure amid the renewed violence there.

“The security forces of all ranks are able to protect Iraq and are ready for any challenge,”  al-Muhammadawi was quoted as saying by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Most of the clashes between government and rebel forces in Syria are taking place in the west of the country. Iraq shares a long border with eastern Syria.

ISIL (ISIS) overran that area and captured several major cities on both sides of the border in 2014.

Reporting from Aleppo, journalist Nour Qormosh described the aftermath of a Syrian government air strike on the city, which left bloodshed and rubble in its wake.

“As you can see, the warplanes targeted a very, very heavy crowded area where people are trying to come in and out of the city,” he said as cars buzzed by.

“As you can see there, the destruction is massive,” he continued. “The targeted area, as you can see behind me, is a civilian territory.”

He explained that there was still a lot of uncertainty in the aftermath of the bombing and that “the situation is still not stable”. Qormosh added that military sources had advised residents to leave the area.

“The warplanes are still hovering over the city of Aleppo and could target the city any second now,” he said.

“The city could be heavily targeted in the upcoming days, and civilians are going to be the number-one target, according to local sources here.”

On Wednesday, Syrian opposition forces – largely clustered in the country’s northwestern Idlib province – launched their latest military offensive: Operation Deterrence of Aggression.

The leading rebel group Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham chose the name to signal its opposition to government attacks in Idlib.

In the weeks leading up to the operation, the Syrian government targeted cities in Idlib like Ariha and Sarmada, resulting in civilian casualties, including the deaths of children.

Opposition forces said the operation was meant to deter future attacks in the rebel stronghold.

Haaretz cites Israeli officials as saying that the country sees the rebels’ offensive to “its advantage” because it will direct Hezbollah’s attention to Syria.

But the Israeli newspaper said there are concerns in Israel that the fighting may bring more Iranian forces to Syria and strengthen “terrorist groups” in the country.

The report quoted an unidentified political source as saying that Israel is worried that “another country near us will deteriorate into instability and [pose] a widespread terrorist threat, which will also affect us.”

Israel Syria’s Golan Heights region in 1967 and illegally annexed it in 1981.

Russia’s state-run Centre for the Reconciliation of the Enemy Parties in Syria claims that the Syrian military, supported by Russia’s Air Force, has killed 300 opposition fighters over the past 24 hours.

Speaking to Al Jazeera correspondent Sinem Koseoglu, a rebel fighter named Baraa Babouly described his joy at returning to his hometown of Aleppo after this week’s lightning offensive reclaimed much of the city from government forces.

“We have returned to Aleppo after 10 years. We have arrived and can finally see it, thank God. After avoiding the regime’s army checkpoints, we have managed to enter it,” Babouly said. “Honestly, in all Syrian areas, God willing, we will return to our villages and once again delight our eyes with them.”

Mohamed Hijazi, a local activist, likewise expressed relief as he stood outside Aleppo’s ancient citadel. He put the week’s events in the context of a longer, historical fight over the region that has seen multiple attempts at conquest.

“This country has endured countless occupations: the Persians, the Romans, the French, the English and the Ottomans. The last to come to this castle was Qassem Soleimani,” Hijazi said, referring to the Iranian military leader who was assassinated in 2020 by the US.

In 2015, Soleimani led forces loyal to Syria’s government in a successful offensive to recapture rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo.

“Thank God he’s gone, and we’ve reclaimed our land,” Hijazi said. “Syria belongs to its people. This is [a] free Syria.”

However, another resident – who asked to be referred to only by his first name, Mohamed – expressed trepidation at the recent resurgence of fighting.

“Honestly, I was afraid the rebels might harm us when we first arrived in the city. But thank God, things are safe and calm now,” he said.

Thirteen years of war in Syria have spawned numerous new groups and brought the country’s institutions into the international spotlight.

Here are some of the acronyms for the major players in the conflict:

• HTS: Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Idlib-based rebel group leading the ongoing military offensive. HTS is the latest iteration of the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s former branch in Syria. Al-Nusra rebranded itself and severed its ties to al-Qaeda in 2016. But HTS remains on the US list of “foreign terrorist organisations”.
• SAA: The Syrian Arab Army, the government’s main fighting force
• SNA: The Syrian National Army, a Turkish-backed rebel force operating in northern Syria
• FSA: The Free Syrian Army, one of the first organised rebel groups to form after the uprising in 2011. It operated as an umbrella coalition before splintering. It was eventually succeeded by the SNA.
• SDF: The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-dominated, US-backed group that controls parts of eastern Syria
• NDF: The National Defence Forces, a pro-government paramilitary group that fights alongside the Syrian military
• ISIL (ISIS): The Islamic State in the Levant is also known as the “Islamic State in Syria” and simply, the “Islamic State”. Considered a hardline group, it controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria until its territorial defeat in 2017. The northern city of Raqqa was its de-facto capital in Syria.

Republican French Hill and Democrat Brendan Boyle – who co-chair the Friends of a Free, Stable, and Democratic Syria Caucus in the US – say they are “closely monitoring” the opposition’s offensive and slam what they call al-Assad’s “brutal regime”.

“We stand with the Syrian people as they confront this murderous dictator, who continues to deprive them of food, prosperity and democracy,” they said in a joint statement.

The group Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is leading the Syrian rebels’ offensive, is designated as a “foreign terrorist organisation” by Washington.

As Co-Chairs of the Friends of a Free, Stable, and Democratic Syria Caucus, we stand with the Syrian people.

My statement with @RepFrenchHill on the unfolding situation in Syria: pic.twitter.com/gTprgTArCe

— Rep. Brendan Boyle (@CongBoyle) November 30, 2024

Syrian opposition forces have celebrated a successful offensive to reclaim large parts of Aleppo, one of the most populous cities in the country.

Fighters were seen posing on tanks, burning government flags and defacing posters depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Check out some of the images from Saturday below.

The 22-country bloc has called for respecting the unity and sovereignty of Syria.

Arab League spokesman Jamal Rushdi also voiced concern that “terrorist groups” may exploit the violence to “resume their activities”.

The Arab League re-admitted Syria to the organisation in 2023, a dozen years after suspending the country’s membership over its deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests during the “Arab Spring” movement.

On November 5, the United States held its presidential election, resulting in a big victory for Donald Trump.

The Republican candidate campaigned on an “America First” platform and promised to restore peace throughout the world, as well as disengage the US from costly foreign conflicts.

Now, with a new chapter emerging in Syria’s war, how will the US respond?

Joshua Landis, a Middle East studies professor at the University of Oklahoma, said he anticipates wariness from the US, despite its longtime collaboration with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led coalition.

Together, the US and the SDF control about 25 percent of Syria’s territory, including many oil-rich regions.

“America is going to want to stay out of this. The trouble is, it’s going to come back to bite them because they have depended on supporting the Kurds,” Landis said.

But the US alliance with Kurdish forces puts the country on a crash course with Turkiye, which considers groups like the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) as “terrorist” organisations.

“Turkiye is going to want the Americans to leave, and it’s going to want to attack the Kurds,” Landis said.

“That’s one of their major objectives in this. The rebels want to go to Damascus, but Turkiye wants to go and get rid of the YPG. So that’s going to put America in the hot seat. They’re going to have to choose between Turkiye and the Kurds. And it’s likely that President Trump, the new incoming president, will choose Turkiye over the Kurds.”

We reported earlier that al-Assad held a phone call with his Emirati counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Now, Abu Dhabi has released a readout of the conversation through its official news agency WAM.

“His Highness affirmed the UAE’s solidarity with Syria and support against terrorism and extremism,” it said.

“He also stressed the UAE’s position in support of efforts and initiatives to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis that would achieve the aspiration of the brotherly Syrian people for stability and development and ensure the unity of Syria and its sovereignty over its entire territory.”

The White Helmets group says attacks by Russian and Syrian government forces in northwestern Syria on Saturday have killed seven people, including three children and one woman.