Barran Press
Aleppo, Syria – On Friday, November 29, 2024, Syrian opposition factions announced their control over several neighborhoods in Aleppo following intense battles with Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias. This advancement is part of a military operation launched on Wednesday, dubbed "Deterrence Operation," in northwestern Syria.
International media reported that opposition forces have taken over areas including New Aleppo, the 3000 Apartments project, and the Al-Hamdaniyah neighborhood, marking significant gains in the largest city in northern Syria.
Syrian activists shared videos on social media depicting opposition fighters patrolling various districts, including the Al-Midan area in the city center. According to Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Al-Nusra Front) and its allied factions have seized control of five neighborhoods in Aleppo, noting that this advance occurred with little resistance from government forces.
In a related development, Khaled Al-Adlabi, a correspondent for Al-Arabi TV, reported that celebratory chants were heard in mosques across northern Aleppo after the opposition's arrival at the city’s outskirts. The opposition also announced control over the villages of Khalsa and Barna in southern Aleppo, crossing the strategic Aleppo-Damascus international road (M5).
The opposition's operations management reported full control over western Aleppo countryside, getting closer to the city center. They showcased images of drone strikes targeting several military positions belonging to the Syrian regime in the Aleppo countryside.
The factions claimed to have targeted the 6th Division, military security posts, and a tank position in Saraqib, Idlib countryside, as well as the command center of the 25th Division. Earlier on Friday, the opposition announced the capture of the town of Tarnabah adjacent to Saraqib in eastern Idlib, as well as the town of Tal Hadiyah in southern Aleppo.
They also declared control over the town of Khan al-Sabil, south of Saraqib along the M5 international road, seizing a T90 tank after fierce clashes that began early that day. The fighting reportedly resulted in the deaths and capture of dozens of Syrian government troops, along with the seizure of weapon and ammunition depots in towns captured since the operation began on Wednesday.
The Syrian armed opposition initiated the "Deterrence Operation" on November 27, 2024, aiming to deliver a "preemptive strike" against Syrian regime forces, marking the first significant breach of front lines in Idlib since the "Turkish-Russian" ceasefire agreement in March 2020.