Syrian insurgent groups launched a fresh offensive Saturday seeking to break a government siege on rebel-held neighborhoods in the northern city of Aleppo, opposition activists and state media said.
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The rebel group that has led the offensive is Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front.
The statement added that the group “will not rest until we raise the flag of the conquest over Aleppo’s citadel”.
Footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows rebel fighters at government checkpoints on Saturday, after a breaking a month-long siege on the rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods of the city in a major setback for the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
The news channel added that the rebels could not take control over the Al-Ramuseh town, whose control would enable them to break the government forces’ siege on the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo. A little more than a week later, Fatah Al Sham’s fighters have significantly contributed to ending the siege on eastern Aleppo, where rebel forces were looking increasingly desperate and ineffectual against government troops and Russian and Syrian air strikes and with support from their friends in the global community dwindling.
Less than a day after rebel fighters broke through, aid arrived in the form of at least one truck carrying food that was driven by civilians from neighboring Idlib province, according to al-Achi and a doctor in Aleppo.
The rebel advance into Ramouseh – where rebels have captured a government military complex – has now raised questions about the security of supply lines into government-held western Aleppo. The Observatory said rebels had bombarded areas of western Aleppo overnight.
He said Fateh Al-Sham were “playing a role like all other armed groups” in the fight for Aleppo.
The group, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, last month distanced itself from parent organisation al-Qaeda in a move meant to bring it closer with other rebels.
“I think this possibly is one of the most important developments of the Syrian revolution in the last five and a half years”, Abdeh said in an interview in Istanbul, where the National Coalition is based. The relief agency helped thousands of residents displaced in last week’s fighting settle in the government side of the city, spokeswoman Ingy Sedky said.
“The military operation to destroy terrorists and mercenaries is continuing and the Syrian army is determined to defeat the enemy on the way to Aleppo”, he said.
Assad’s forces are supported by Russian air power, Iranian militias and fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group who have sent reinforcements to shore up the army.
The agency said 10 civilians had been killed on Saturday in rebel shelling on two government-held districts. The main Facebook page of the Syrian opposition read, “Aleppo created a myth yesterday, and the battle over it entered to the history and to the curriculum of military colleges all over the world”.
“Everyone is staying in the safest room”, said Dr Fatima AlMousalem, whose hospital has been targeted several times in recent weeks.
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On the other hand, opposition fighters seemed to be more optimistic in their certainty to win this battle as the official source in the Syrian free army announced that the rebels have crossed 90% of their plan to liberalize eastern areas in Aleppo and more than halfway through crossing the road to liberalize Aleppo.
