The Syrian army reported on Saturday that dozens of its soldiers were killed in a large-scale assault led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Rebel forces claim to have entered Aleppo for the first time since the government reclaimed the city in 2016, marking a significant challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.The Syrian military confirmed it had redeployed troops to bolster defences amid the offensive, which it called a “major attack” involving heavy weaponry and drones. Russia, Assad’s key ally, launched airstrikes targeting rebel positions in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, reportedly killing 300 fighters. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the strikes hit “command posts, depots, and artillery positions,” underscoring Moscow’s continued support for Assad’s regime. n18oc_world n18oc_crux
