Dozens of Syrian soldiers and rebel fighters have been killed in fierce clashes in northern Aleppo province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group. The fighting erupted when the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group and its allies overran at least 10 areas controlled by President Bashar al-Assad’s military.
SOHR reported that 132 fighters and soldiers were killed during the clashes on Wednesday, following a major offensive by HTS, which controls a large portion of northwestern Syria. The casualties included 65 HTS fighters, 18 from allied groups, and 49 from government forces. The conflict also saw significant material losses, with weapon depots, armored vehicles, and heavy weapons seized by HTS and its allies.
The Syrian army, in a statement carried by state news agency SANA, did not mention casualties but described the assault as a “large-scale terrorist attack” involving heavy weapons. The army said the attack was ongoing, targeting villages, towns, and military positions.
SOHR also reported that civilians, including children, were killed or injured in the fighting, which saw Syrian forces shell civilian and military targets with hundreds of missiles and shells. HTS and allied forces advanced almost 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo city, nearing Nubl and Zahra, two predominantly Shia towns with a strong Hezbollah presence. HTS fighters also attacked the al-Nayrab airport east of Aleppo, where pro-Iranian forces are stationed.
The offensive followed recent intensified air raids by Russian and Syrian forces in southern Idlib, targeting civilian areas. It also aimed to preempt potential Syrian army attacks, as government forces had been amassing troops near the front lines with HTS and other rebel groups.
Witnesses reported that hundreds of families in Aleppo, which remains a stronghold for anti-Assad forces, fled to safer areas along the Turkish border to escape the fighting.
HTS, which is designated a “terrorist organization” by the United States, has long been a target of Syrian and Russian military operations. However, in recent years, HTS has distanced itself from its transnational al-Qaeda roots, rebranding itself as a more locally focused group. It has emerged as the most powerful rebel faction in northwestern Syria.
Russia has been involved in the Syrian conflict since 2015, backing Assad’s government as it faced growing pressure from rebel groups.
