For the sixth consecutive day, Syrian opposition forces continue their rapid advance in areas controlled by Assad's regime as part of the "Deterring Aggression" operation launched last week. The opposition has leveraged a series of military operations to liberate strategic regions previously held by regime forces, Iranian militias, and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

In recent hours, opposition forces have expanded their control in the rural areas of Aleppo and Hama. The factions involved in the "Dawn of Freedom" operation announced the liberation of the city of Tell Rifaat, a key SDF stronghold in northern Aleppo. They also liberated Sheikh Isa, resulting in the automatic fall of 24 surrounding villages. This expansion heads towards Manbij, a crucial economic hub that connects Aleppo to both the eastern and western banks of the Euphrates and serves as a significant population center for Syrian families from Homs, its rural areas, Hama, and Deir ez-Zor.

Controlling Tell Rifaat and its surroundings, located 18 kilometers south of the Turkish border and 35 kilometers from Aleppo, means liberating 850 square kilometers. This area has been a significant security threat to civilians in liberated areas like Azaz and Jarabulus, facing constant shelling and rocket attacks from the SDF since they entered the region under Russian cover eight years ago.

During Sunday's battles in Tell Rifaat, the SDF attempted to form a corridor towards northeastern Syria but failed after opposition forces cut off the Raqqa-Aleppo road, linking eastern, western, and northern rural Aleppo with the city center.

Before liberating Tell Rifaat, opposition forces launched violent strikes on the Menagh Military Airbase, seizing three tanks. The SDF had occupied the base for over eight years, renaming it "Serok Apo," meaning "Commander Ocalan," before handing it over to Russian forces in 2017.

The airbase is about 40 kilometers from Aleppo and is a military base designated for helicopters, with two runways each 1.2 kilometers long. It joins three other liberated airports: Kuweires in eastern rural Aleppo, Abu al-Duhur, and Aleppo International Airport, the first civilian airport under opposition control and the second-largest in Syria after Damascus International Airport.

Continuing rapid advancements, the "Dawn of Freedom" operations room added 11 villages in eastern rural Aleppo to its controlled areas in recent hours, also seizing heavy military equipment, including tanks and artillery.

In Hama's rural areas, where regime forces have gathered in some villages and towns, the "Shahin Brigades," responsible for using suicide drones, have carried out precise strikes on regime military vehicles and four-wheel-drive cars, particularly in Souran, Halfaya, and Mount Zain al-Abidin, including targeting a helicopter before takeoff at Hama Airport.

The military operations room administration announced that the Shahin Brigades targeted strategic and sensitive regime objectives in the Hama operation areas. One of these strikes killed Brigadier General Adi Ghassa, head of the regime's Political Security Branch. Media sources reported targeting Brigadier General Suhail al-Hassan, supported by Russia.

SDF Alert

The SDF Kurdish forces retreated from Tell Rifaat towards Manbij due to intense opposition strikes and encirclement from multiple fronts. This prompted the "Autonomous Administration," the SDF's civilian wing, to declare general mobilization in its areas, claiming that opposition operations "threaten all of Syria, target the self-administration project, aim to occupy and divide Syria, and turn it into a hotspot for international terrorism."

The administration called on its institutions to "mobilize fully and create crisis cells to face the challenges of Turkish aggression," urging the youth of northern and eastern Syria to rally around the SDF to confront what it termed "aggression."

Similarly, the Syrian regime has been handing over its positions to the SDF before withdrawing, currently happening in several locations in northeastern Syria after handing over several neighborhoods in northern and eastern Aleppo, home to tens of thousands of Kurdish residents, such as Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, Bustan al-Basha, and upper Halak.

During last night's hours, negotiations occurred with SDF elements in these neighborhoods for safe withdrawal, especially after intermittent clashes and the killing of opposition forces who had lost their way and entered these areas.

The opposition's "Military Operations Administration" called on SDF elements to withdraw safely with their weapons to northeastern Syria, affirming in a statement that "Syrian Kurds are an integral part of Syrian society, sharing full rights with the rest of the country's citizens."

Attempts to Save the Regime

Amid intense military battles, attempts by Assad's Russian and Iranian allies to support the regime through political statements criticizing the opposition's expansion and on the ground have not ceased. Russian air forces targeting civilians remain active in Aleppo and Idlib skies, while Iran, despite American monitoring of its activities across the eastern Syrian border, continues to direct its loyalist militias to support the regime.

Syrian sources revealed to Reuters the arrival of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters in Syria to support the regime against opposition factions.

Reuters quoted two Syrian military sources saying that "Shiite militias affiliated with Iraqi Kata'ib Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun Brigade arrived last night in Syria from Iraq through a military corridor near Al-Bukamal border crossing to support the Syrian army in its battles against opposition factions."

However, a U.S. warplane targeted these militias' convoys of 20 pickup trucks on Al-Bukamal's outskirts in eastern Deir ez-Zor, causing deaths, and injuries, and destroying most of the convoy heading towards Hama province to support regime forces after recent opposition inflicted losses.

Return of Displaced People

After liberating vast areas, videos on social media documented displaced people visiting their homes and checking their villages. Despite extensive destruction to homes and infrastructure, lack of services, and looting by regime elements, many affirmed rebuilding and returning to these homes.

Since the launch of the "Deterring Aggression" operation on November 27, 2024, the goal, according to Hassan Abdul Ghani, a military leader in the al-Fath al-Mubin operations room, was to expand safe areas for the return of displaced people and expel Iranian militias.

Responding to increased humanitarian and field needs, the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) announced expanding their humanitarian and service operations to include new cities and towns in Syria.

According to the White Helmets, their program will cover inhabited residential areas, cities, towns, and villages where displaced residents return, alongside continued operations in previously served areas.

Simultaneously, opposition faction attacks continue to escalate, as do regime and Russian air force attacks across northern Syria, under opposition control. The Syrian Civil Defense reported four civilian deaths, including a woman, and 54 injured, among them 25 children and 16 women, in the most intense regime airstrikes yet, targeting neighborhoods in Idlib city and two displaced persons camps.

Idlib and Aleppo cities face significant escalation. This morning, airstrikes renewed on Idlib, resulting in civilian casualties trapped under rubble, alongside targeting Maarrat al-Numan city with barrel bombs.

Aleppo, with its five million civilians, experienced heavy aerial bombardment hitting the university hospital entrance, residential neighborhoods in Al-Jamiliyah, and Hamdaniya Stadium area, causing 12 deaths and 23 injuries. Strikes also targeted a complex housing the Italian College, Tresant Church, and a monastery in Al-Furqan neighborhood.