A fast-moving situation unfolds in Syriapublished at 09:38 Greenwich Mean Time 1 December 2024

09:38 GMT 1 December 2024

Lina Sinjab
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Beirut

It's been a speedy development. Over the course of a few days, opposition fighters are now in control of Aleppo and have pushed into several towns in the countryside near Syria's fourth largest city, Hama.

Damascus is concerned - President Assad has vowed to defeat the operation.

However, the regional situation is different now because Iran - an ally of Assad's - is weakened and Russia - another ally - is busy with Ukraine. So the rebels are taking advantage at this time.

There are calls internationally to control the situation, but also calls on Assad to go back to the negotiation table and to adhere to peace treaties that were designed in 2015.

The Iranians, as well as the Russians and the Turks, are also concerned.

It seems this is a moment to force Assad back into making concessions and go to political negotiations.

Russia has carried out five consecutive air strikes targeting a refugee camp in a neighbourhood in Idlib, according to UK-based human rights group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The strikes killed at least one civilian and have injured others, the monitor says.

In an earlier update, SOHR adds that Russia hit rural parts of Idlib and Hama where the group leading the rebel offensive "has recently taken control".

It comes as the government has sent "large reinforcements" to draw a defence line around villages in the Hama countryside, the SOHR adds.

Idlib and Hama are located just south of Aleppo. Opposition forces have maintained control of the north-western city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province.

Yesterday, Idlib and its surrounding areas were hit with nine air strikes.

We've recently had an update come through from the foreign minister of Iran, a country that has long been an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's.

"Today I am going to Damascus to carry the message of the Islamic Republic to the Syrian government," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi writes in a post on Telegram. "We firmly support the Syrian government and army."

It comes after a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry confirmed that Araqchi will travel to Damascus tomorrow.

• From our correspondent: During the Syrian civil war, Syria's president relied on both Russian airpower and Iranian military help on the ground - mainly through militias sponsored by Iran. These included Hezbollah.

Sebastian Usher

Image source, EPA

Earlier, we mentioned how the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has been leading the recent offensive of rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

But the group has a long and involved history in the Syrian conflict.

HTS was set up under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011 as a direct affiliate of Al Qaeda.

The IS group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was also involved in its formation.

It was regarded as one of the most effective and deadly of the groups ranged against President Assad.

But its jihadist ideology appeared to be its driving force rather than revolutionary zeal - and it was seen at the time as at odds with the main rebel coalition under the banner of Free Syria.

But in 2016, the group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, publicly broke ranks with Al Qaeda, dissolved Jabhat al-Nusra and set up a new organisation, which took the name Hayat Tahrir al-Sham when it merged with several other similar groups a year later.

As we've been reporting, Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has now taken control of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city.

The group also has control of the city's airport, as well as surrounding towns, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Image source, Reuters

Hours after rebel fighters began sharing video footage of themselves online taking over key areas of Aleppo, President Bashar al-Assad offered the anti-government forces a strong rebuke.

The Syrian president has vowed to "defend [Syria's] stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers".

"[The country] is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them, no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are," his office quoted him as saying on Saturday.

As a reminder, the civil war, which has left around half a million people dead, began in 2011 after the Assad government responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown.

Rebel forces opposed to the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have now taken control of Aleppo's airport and dozens of nearby towns, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Here's what else you need to know:

• Residents of the city are waking up after a night of rebel-enforced curfew, as violence continues to surge in the country

• This is the most significant fighting in Syria's civil war in recent years - on Saturday at least 70 people were killed, according to SOHR
• The latest offensive has been led by an Islamist militant group known at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions backed by Turkey
• Idlib, a north-western city, was hit with nine strikes carried out by Russia late on Saturday, the SOHR says
• It adds to the Russian strikes the SOHR reported on Aleppo yesterday, which killed 16 civilians
• On Saturday, President Bashar al-Assad vowed a counterattack, after government forces withdrew from the country's second largest city

Stick with us for more updates.

Image source, EPA

Syrian government forces have confirmed that they have withdrawn from the city of Aleppo - the nation's second largest - following an offensive by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The incursion marks the most significant fighting in Syria's civil war in recent years, after a ceasefire deal in 2020 brokered by Russia, which has long been Assad’s key ally, and Turkey, which has backed the rebels, has largely held.

That all changed this week, however, when fighting reignited on Wednesday.

By Saturday, the Russian air force - which again played a significant role in keeping Assad in power during the peak of the civil war - had carried out air strikes in Aleppo.

As things stand this morning, the Syrian army says that anti-government forces have now taken control of "large parts" of Aleppo. Meanwhile, the country's president is vowing to "defend [Syria's] stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers".

We'll be continuing to track developments throughout the day. Stick with us.

We'll shortly be ending our live coverage of Russia's strikes on Aleppo following an incursion into the city by an anti-government rebel group.

If you're new to this story, there are several places across the BBC where you can get the latest information about the situation as it unfolds.

We'll be updating our news story with any key developments as they happen, and our explainer sets out everything you need to know about the history of the rebels pushing into Aleppo.

And for voices of those in the city, our colleagues at the World Service's Newshour spoke with one resident a little earlier about her experience today - and her fears about the days ahead.

Thanks for joining us.

Sebastian Usher

Image source, EPA

For several years, Idlib remained a battleground as Syrian government forces tried to regain control.

But a ceasefire deal in 2020 brokered by Russia, which has long been Assad’s key ally, and Turkey, which has backed the rebels, has largely held.

Aleppo was one of the bloodiest battlegrounds and represented one of the rebels’ biggest defeats.

To achieve victory, Assad relied on Russian airpower and Iranian military help on the ground - mainly through militias sponsored by Iran. These included Hezbollah.

There is little doubt that the setback Hezbollah has suffered recently from Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, as well as Israeli strikes on Iranian military commanders in Syria, has played a significant part in the decision by Islamist militants and rebel groups in Idlib to make their sudden, unexpected move on Aleppo.

For some time now, HTS has established its power base in Idlib where it is the de facto local administration, although its efforts towards legitimacy have been tarnished by alleged human rights abuses.

Its ambitions beyond Idlib had become unclear.

Since breaking with Al Qaeda, its goal has been limited to trying to establish fundamentalist Islamic rule in Syria rather than a wider caliphate, as Isis tried and failed to do.

It had shown little sign of attempting to reignite the Syrian conflict on a major scale and renew its challenge to Assad’s rule over much of the country - until now.

Let's take a quick look back now to footage from yesterday that shows rebel fighters celebrating their advances in Aleppo.

In the clip below, you can see fighters burning a Syrian flag, cheering and stamping on an effigy of the former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, who died in 2000.

We've been reporting this afternoon on developments in Syria, where rebel forces opposed to the government have pushed into Aleppo, the nation's second-largest city.

In response to the push, Russia launched air strikes on parts of the city overnight - the first such strikes since 2016, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

If you're just catching up, here's a quick run-down of what's happened in the last few hours.

• At least 16 civilians have been killed and a further are 20 injured, following strikes on a "gathering of people" at a roundabout in Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The organisation believes the strikes were carried out by Russian fighter jets

• Meanwhile, rebel forces have advanced throughout the day, with the Syrian military saying it withdrew from the city temporarily in order to prepare a counter-offensive
• BBC Verify has confirmed footage showing rebel fighters at Aleppo's international airport. It's situated just outside the city's main ring road and shows rebels' progression through the city
• The Iranian and Russian foreign ministers have spoken about "joint efforts" to stabilise the situation. Iran's Abbas Araghchi is also set to visit Syria's capital Damascus tomorrow

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) say that on Friday morning they "conducted an intelligence-based strike on military infrastructure sites adjacent to border crossings between Syria and Lebanon."

The IDF alleges the crossings were being used to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.

UK-based human rights group the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights say that the airstrikes hit legal crossings and border bridges.

Many people living in Lebanon took refuge in Syria during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, and people are now crossing the border to return home since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced.

Rebel group shown in Aleppo airportpublished at 18:31 Greenwich Mean Time 30 November 2024

18:31 GMT 30 November 2024

By Paul Brown

Footage released by an Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-affiliated shows rebel fighters present at Aleppo International Airport.

In the video, a man identified as a military commander named "Abu Malik Al-Shami" addresses the camera in front of the main terminal. Other fighters are occasionally seen behind him.

BBC Verify confirmed the location by comparing the footage to stock imagery of the airport entrance. Earlier today social media video showed a group of armed men in the airport, although it was unclear what group they were from.

The seizure of the airport is significant not only for its strategic value, but also as an indication of how far into the city the rebels have reached since entering yesterday evening,

Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News

Joyful rebels celebrate their victory – even they were overcome with its swiftness and success. They reached the heart of Aleppo just three days after launching an offensive from their stronghold in northwest Syria.

It was a carefully planned attack that seems to have taken the government by surprise – the insurgents met almost no resistance: Syrian forces said they made a tactical withdrawal from the city to prepare a counter offensive.

Residents had no idea what was going on, says one woman in Aleppo, and even less what will happen next:

"Honestly, I don't know if this is good or bad, whether I'm safer. We don't know if we should stay in Aleppo. We're disturbed. We have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow or in the next few weeks or months."

Image source, Reuters

Roads leading out of Aleppo were jammed with cars earlier today as residents reportedly fled the city following an incursion by rebel forces.

Our colleagues at the World Service have been reporting on "long lines" of cars clogging the roads throughout this afternoon.

World Service radio programme Newshour heard from one resident earlier today who reported that little information is coming through official channels.

Residents have also been observed returning to the city. One told the Reuters news agency "after ten years of displacement from Aleppo, we have returned".

Throughout our coverage today we've been citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, external, a UK-based human rights organisation.

Founded in 2006, the organisation works to monitor and publish developments within Syria with the aim of providing an "objective understanding" of events within the country.

Their website outlines their mission as to "preserve the truth in order to support justice, equality and freedom in Syria".

SOHR is not affiliated with any state, political party or organisation.

At least 16 civilians have been killed during strikes on a "gathering of people" at Aleppo's Al Basel roundabout on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

A further 20 were injured.

Al Basel square has emerged as a focal point in the incursion, with fighters earlier observed tearing down a Syrian flag in the square and toppling a statue of the late brother of President Bashar al-Assad, Basel al-Assad.

The UK-based monitoring group adds that it believes the strikes were carried out by Russian fighter jets.

Aleppo is currently under a curfew imposed by rebel forces that is effective until tomorrow. But we can now bring you a look at images from earlier today, after rebel forces moved into the city.

Photos show fighters celebrating their advances and setting a Syrian national flag alight.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Al Basel Square becomes focal point of rebel incursionpublished at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 30 November 2024

16:22 GMT 30 November 2024

By Paul Brown

Since rebel fighters entered Aleppo yesterday evening, a lot of footage has been filmed around an area called "Al Basel Square” in the west of the city.

Yesterday fighters were seen tearing down the Syrian flag and earlier today we saw them toppling the statue of the late brother of President Bashar al-Assad, Basel al-Assad.

However, sharing videos of such a recognisable site may have been a security risk. In the last few hours footage has emerged from the area showing lifeless individuals on the ground, smoke rising and damage, following a reported air strike.

The Syrian army - which appears to have put up very little resistance to the rebel advance - has announced a "temporary troop withdrawal" from Aleppo, as it prepares for a counteroffensive.