Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on Monday, Hadi al-Bahra, chairman of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces (SMDK), explained that the offensive launched by anti-regime forces from Idlib that managed to take Aleppo was inevitable after years of constant attacks by the Assad regime and Iranian militias.
Al-Bahra stressed that in November alone, up to 52 Syrian regime attacks on civilians took place in a single day in Idlib, where millions of refugees live and infrastructure is overwhelmed by the rapidly growing population. ‘These events forced the Syrians to start a military confrontation,’ he said in remarks reported by Turkish media.
The main objectives of the offensive are, according to al-Bahra, to liberate regime-held towns and villages, to allow refugees to return home and people to access basic services, and to ensure the security of liberated areas. ‘In addition, we want to revive the political process implemented by UN Security Council Resolutions 2184 and 2254,’ he added.
Little resistance and siege on Hama
The fact is that the offensive launched by Syrian rebels on Aleppo and across northern Syria has been met with little resistance, enabling anti-regime forces to seize control of Syria’s second largest city in just 24 hours, whereas it took the Assad regime four years of siege and the support of Russia and Iran to take full control of the city.
Analysts agree that Russia’s military presence in Syria has been significantly reduced by the war effort in Ukraine, and that the airstrikes that both Russian and Syrian regime forces are carrying out on Idlib or on Syrian rebel positions are of limited utility.
In less than a week, the Syrian rebels have tripled their territory, exposing the weakness of the Assad government, which with all of northern Syria out of its control now faces the urgent need to mount an unlikely counter-offensive to retake Aleppo, or lose a city that is key not only to Syria’s economy, but also to governing the country.
Meanwhile, Assad’s opposition forces continue advancing and, in recent hours, have continued to expand their territory and extend the siege on Hama, Syria’s fourth largest city after Damascus, Aleppo and Homs. The Syrian rebels are currently only 5 km from the city and surround it on all fronts except the south, where the forces sent by the Syrian regime to defend it have withdrawn in the last few hours.
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As a history lover, Pablo Gómez was captivated by Turkey from the first day he visited it in 2006: he got married there, has a house there… and has since become an expert on Turkey’s current affairs. With a long experience in media, he has been at the helm of hispanatolia.com since 2011.
