[A map of Syria showing Aleppo. Source: Pixabay]

Syrian opposition forces have entered Aleppo just three days after a surprise offensive launched on the 27th of November. 

In a video statement, Lt. Col. Hassan Abdulghany, the opposition military commander, declared that the offensive aimed to stop the Syrian government and Iran-backed militia allies from conducting attacks on opposition-held territory. 

Abdulghany commented that the offensive intended to “Push back their fire from our people” and that “It is an obligation to defend our people and their land.”

He added that “It has become clear to everyone that the regime militias and their allies, including the Iranian mercenaries, have declared an open war on the Syrian people.” 

Iran has supported the Assad regime throughout the Syrian Civil War, sending advisers and commanders of its Revolutionary Guards Corps, as well as contributing thousands of fighters. 

The Syrian government, in line with their previous characterisation of opposition groups as “terrorists,” has labelled the offensive a “large-scale terrorist attack.”  

The involved opposition groups have fought to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2011, and controlled large parts of the country at one point. 

Among the major groups involved is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a Sunni Islamic political and armed organisation, formerly linked with the terrorist group Al Qaeda. 

Multiple Turkish-backed rebel groups were also reportedly part of the offensive.

The offensive represents the first major escalation in years between opposition groups and the Syrian government, marking the first time the city has been attacked since 2016, when opposition forces were driven out of Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods following a military campaign that saw prominent allies such as Russia and Iran support Syrian government forces. 

The attack occurred as major allies of the government, primarily Lebanon's Hezbollah, are preoccupied with ongoing conflicts. 

Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and an expert on Syrian groups, explained, “It's not only that the Russians are distracted and bogged down in Ukraine, but also the Iranians are distracted and bogged down elsewhere. Hezbollah's distracted and bogged down elsewhere, and the regime is absolutely cornered.”

The offensive was preceded by weeks of low-level violence, including government attacks on regions under opposition control. 

Turkey, which has previously backed opposition groups, failed in diplomatic efforts to prevent the government attacks, viewed as violations of a 2019 agreement, sponsored by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, that de-escalated fighting in the area. 

Meanwhile, Syria’s Armed Forces claim that the opposition groups’ offensive is in violation of the agreement. 

While the Syrian government did not comment on insurgents breaching Aleppo city borders, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in a press briefing that the attack is a “violation of Syria's sovereignty in this region,” calling for swift action.

Syria's armed forces claimed in a statement on Friday that they had engaged with insurgents in the countryside around Aleppo and Idlib, destroying drones and heavy weaponry.

Earlier that day, insurgents had attacked a military airbase southeast of Aleppo with drones, reportedly destroying a helicopter. 

During the offensive, the opposition groups also seized heavy weapons and military vehicles belonging to government forces.