After Aleppo, HTS rebels move towards Damascus, Bashar al-Assad worried

HTS Rebels Attack on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has faced the biggest sudden challenge in the last few years. After four years of volatile stalemate, Aleppo fell to Türkiye-backed HTS rebels in a matter of days. Last week, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a splinter group from al-Qaeda, suddenly attacked and captured Aleppo. After this, now they are moving towards their next target Hama.

More than 300 rebels were killed during the fighting in Aleppo, but despite this the rebel attacks continue. HTS rebels have started blowing up captured army helicopters during the Syrian army’s retreat. Seeing Damascus in trouble after Aleppo, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reached Moscow.

Russia had turned the situation in favor of Syria 10 years ago

Russia’s intervention in the Syrian civil war 10 years ago had turned the situation in favor of Bashar al-Assad, but at present, Russia and Iran, two major allies of Bashar al-Assad, are entangled in their country’s troubles, where on one hand Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is draining Russia’s resources. At the same time, Iran has become weak due to Israel’s continuous attacks on Hezbollah in its neighboring Lebanon.

Iran is trying to help Syria

Quoting two Syrian army sources, Hindustan Times wrote that Iran is trying to help Syria at any cost. For this, he is allowing Iran-backed militias to enter Syria overnight through Iraq. Militias originating from Iran are moving towards the northern parts of Syria. Where they have been sent to help the Syrian army fighting the rebels.

On the other hand, a senior Syrian army source told Reuters that many of Iraq’s Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi fighters have also crossed the Al-Bukmal border and entered Syria. The Syrian official said, “These fresh reinforcements have been sent to the northern front to help our comrades.” He also said that Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun groups are also included in these militias.

Syrian President stressed on support of allies

“Bashar al-Assad is now in a state of crisis and is holding meetings with his old allies,” Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said in an interview with Al Jazeera after meeting with an Iranian envoy. The Syrian president stressed that “the support of allies and friends is vital in confronting foreign-backed terrorist attacks.”

Also read: Syria civil war: The threat of world war looms over the world again! Russia’s entry against Turkish-backed rebels in Syria