Rebel advance

Pro-Iranian militias rush to Assad’s aid

Rebels pose for a selfie in front of an army helicopter captured in Aleppo.

(Bild: APA/AFP/AAREF WATAD)

Islamist rebel groups continue to advance in Syria. In addition to Russia, pro-Iranian militias from Iraq are also said to have rushed to the aid of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. However, one leader contradicted such claims.

The report that militia units had already been deployed to Syria had previously been disseminated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said that around 200 fighters had crossed the Iraqi-Syrian border since Sunday. The head of the militia alliance, Faleh al-Fayad, denied this. The so-called Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) were not operating outside Iraq, he said. The PMU is an Iraqi alliance of predominantly Shiite militias that was founded in 2014 to fight IS and is now a significant political and military force in the country.

Moscow: "Of course we support Bashar al-Assad"
The Russian army's first airstrikes in eight years in support of Assad were by no means denied. According to activists, not only rebels but also civilians were killed. 

On Monday, the Kremlin reaffirmed its continued support for the Syrian government. "Of course we continue to support Bashar al-Assad. Accordingly, we are continuing our contacts and analyzing the situation," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 

A rebel at prayer

(Bild: APA/AFP/Rami al SAYED)

Russian capacities are dwindling
Russia's intervention in the civil war had stabilized Assad's wavering power from 2015. However, Russian forces in Syria are no longer as strong as they were back then due to its war of aggression against Ukraine. Moscow was surprised by the offensive; according to unofficial reports by Russian military bloggers, the commanding general in Syria, Sergei Kissel, was therefore replaced.

Rebels pose for a selfie in front of an army helicopter captured in Aleppo.

(Bild: APA/AFP/AAREF WATAD)

Iran and Russia are the most important allies of Assad, who has been fighting for political survival for almost 14 years. The president's troops withdrew from Aleppo at the weekend after the Syrian conflict flared up again and a surprisingly rapid advance by Islamist rebels. 

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad can continue to rely on Russian and Iranian help. But the forces of his allies are dwindling.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Syrian Presidency Facebook page/Handout)

Bloody offensive: hundreds already dead
Since the middle of the week, rebels led by the HTS have been able to conquer larger areas in north-western Syria, including the city of Aleppo, which is home to millions of inhabitants. The Syrian leadership announced a counter-offensive. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 400 people are said to have been killed in the jihadist attacks.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish military alliance in northern Syria announced its intention to evacuate Kurdish civilians from several areas of Aleppo province. "We are actively coordinating with all relevant parties in Syria to ensure the safety of our people and facilitate their safe resettlement," said the head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, on Monday. The people are to be brought to "our safe areas in the north-east of the country".

Groups supported by Turkey attack Kurds
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists in the country itself, stated on Sunday that around 200,000 Syrian Kurds were "besieged by pro-Turkish groups". The fighters had taken control of the city of Tal Rifaat and some surrounding villages. The situation in north-western Syria had "developed quickly and suddenly", Abdi said. "Our forces are facing intense attacks on several fronts".